Pfizer to collaborate with Adaptive Biotechnologies on new immuno-oncology therapies

Pfizer recently recently announced it is teaming up with Adaptive Biotechnologies to help advance its growing immuno-oncology pipeline.

“Immunotherapy is one of the most important advances in cancer therapy and offers the potential for long term disease control for many patients,” Chris Boshoff, VP and head of early development, translational and immuno-oncology at Pfizer Oncology, said. "The collaboration with Adaptive Biotechnologies supports our strategy of accelerating the development of potentially innovative new combination treatments by allowing us to develop a differentiated and competitive understanding of the immune landscape in specific tumor types.”

The translational research collaboration deal will consist of Adaptive Biotechnologies applying its proprietary immunosequencing platform, bioinformatics capabilities and expertise to Pfizer's line of products. The platform can quantitatively and reproducibly measure an individual's immune-cell repertoire, which can help identify those who would benefit most from a certain immunotherapy.

“This collaboration with Pfizer is evidence of the immense impact immune repertoire profiling may have on the immuno-oncology space,” Adaptive Biotechnologies Co-Founder, President and CEO Chad Robins said. “Adaptive’s ability to precisely measure a patient’s immune response to cancer before and after treatment provides a universal tool that will help bolster our understanding of immuno-oncology approaches.”

Immunology and oncology are two of Pfizer's main therapeutic areas.