Fast-tracking immunotherapy to fight leukemia

To speed the development of new cancer drugs, Bristol-Myers Squibb and MD Anderson are teaming up to conduct clinical trials of several new immunotherapy drugs that stimulate the body’s own immune system to fight cancer.

“Collaborations between industry and academia can offer a faster and broader spectrum of clinical trials to benefit patients,” saidHagop Kantarjian, M.D., chair of白血病在MD安德森。“我们希望创新的合作，如这能帮助导致全线的成功可能性更大，并会加快交付给谁需要它们的患者带来了新化合物的临床开发。”

MD安德森患者会报名参加多达10个阶段1和2个临床试验Opdivo(nivolumab),Yervoy（易普利姆玛）和由Bristol-Myers Squibb公司制3早期药物。所有被测试为潜在治疗acute myeloid leukemia (AML),慢性淋巴细胞性白血病（CLL）, chronic myeloid leukemia (CML),myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)and myelofibrosis (MF). Drugs will be tested alone and in combination with each other. Trials will be conducted by MD Anderson.

Opdivo目前已被批准在日本的不能手术治疗melanoma, and Yervoy is approved in the U.S. and more than 40 countries for patients with inoperable or metastatic melanoma. Trials are expected to expand the drugs’ application in treating other cancers.

“Immunotherapy is an extremely promising area of research and a key area of focus forMD Anderson’s Moon Shots Program安德森说:“主席Ron DePinho,医学博士“Partnerships between academia and industry have the potential to significantly advance the application of new discoveries to cancer treatment.”

Additional studies conducted by MD Anderson and Bristol Myers will be determined at a later date.