Scientific platforms
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We are striving to make cures a reality for the millions of people across the world living with cancer every day. Our focus is on some of the most hard-to-treat forms of disease, including lung, breast, gastrointestinal, gynaecological, genitourinary and haematology cancers. By understanding the complexities of these cancer types, we can transform outcomes for patients.
Our approach: Turning scientific platforms into cancer breakthroughs
At AstraZeneca, we are harnessing our breadth of scientific platforms to attack cancer from multiple angles. We know that real potential is in the combination of treatments, and the breadth and depth of our portfolio allows us to trial many of these platforms in combinations to achieve a more durable, deeper response as we strive towards increasing the chance of cures.
Each platform is designed to deepen biological understanding, personalise treatment and bring more patients the benefits of innovation through emerging technologies including frontier AI solutions. Together, they form the foundation of our strategy to transform cancer care and our bold ambition to one day eliminate cancer as a cause of death.
Biomarker-guided precision medicine
Matching the right treatment to the right patient
Biomarkers are measurable indicators of a biological condition or process in the body. They can be molecules, genes and proteins that give insights into health, disease or response to treatment.1
In oncology, biomarkers can help us understand how cancer behaves. By identifying specific genetic mutations or protein expressions, we can match patients with therapies designed to target the biology of their disease.1
At AstraZeneca, we are using biomarker insights to tailor treatment strategies, predict response and improve patient outcomes. This allows us to deliver more effective and better tolerated treatments while reducing the trial-and-error approach that might delay optimal care.
Biomarker testing is embedded across our clinical programmes and plays a critical role in guiding treatment decisions, supporting earlier diagnosis and helping us reach more patients with targeted solutions.
Immuno-oncology
Harnessing the power of the immune system
Our immune system constantly surveys the body to detect and eliminate threats to our health. The system works well, but rogue cells sometimes slip past these surveillance mechanisms and become cancers.2-4
Immuno-oncology (IO) research aims to leverage the immune system to fight cancer. Unlike traditional cancer treatments (such as chemotherapy or radiation), which target cancer cells, IO research seeks to activate, enhance, or restore the immune system’s natural ability to recognise and eliminate tumour cells.5,6
At AstraZeneca, we are advancing the next wave immuno-oncology (IO) therapies that aim to empower the immune system to more effectively recognise and kill cancer cells and to overcome immunosuppressive mechanisms that cancers frequently develop as they evolve.
We believe treating cancer earlier - when the immune system can be activated to recognise and eradicate cancer cells, has the greatest opportunity to maximise the potential for long-term remission and the possibility of cure.7,8,10
That’s why we’re focusing on earlier stages of disease, including neoadjuvant (before surgery) and adjuvant (after surgery) settings, with over two-thirds of our Phase III trials focused on early-stage cancer. Through innovative IO combinations, novel mechanisms and unique dosing strategies, we aim to transform outcomes and redefine the standard of care. Our goal is to drive long-term survivorship across multiple tumour types, stages of disease and lines of treatment, with the potential to change what it means to live with cancer.
DNA Damage Response (DDR)
Exploiting tumour vulnerabilities in DNA repair
DNA repair mechanisms are essential for correcting damage to our genetic material and maintaining genomic stability; when these processes fail, mutations can accumulate and lead to cancer.
The DNA Damage Response (DDR) detects DNA damage, halts cell growth, and activates repair pathways, or triggers cell death when repair isn’t possible, making it a key guardian against tumour development.10
Cancer cells are often highly dependent on faulty DNA repair mechanisms. By targeting those vulnerabilities, we can selectively damage cancer cells while sparing healthy ones. This provides a truly targeted approach to cancer treatment with the potential to improve patient outcomes across multiple tumour types.9,10
At AstraZeneca, with our industry-leading portfolio we are using DDR science to drive advances in precision medicine. Our research is focused on identifying patients who may benefit from DDR-targeted therapies, developing companion diagnostics and using biomarker strategies to guide treatment. We are committed to pushing the boundaries of science and harnessing our DDR targets to achieve the best possible outcomes for patients worldwide and allow patients to be matched to the right treatment.
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs)
Delivering the next wave of precision medicines
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are targeted therapies designed to deliver chemotherapy agents to tumour cells. They combine the specificity of an antibody with the strength of chemotherapy, linking the two through a stable connector that releases the drug only when it reaches the tumour.11
This targeted delivery helps reduce damage to healthy tissue and allows for higher concentrations of therapy exactly where it is needed. ADCs are a promising option for cancers that overexpress certain proteins and may offer alternatives to conventional chemotherapy.11
At AstraZeneca, we are progressing towards our goal to replace backbone chemotherapy with novel ADCs. By advancing ADC research across several tumour type and investigating novel combinations, to enhance durability of response and improve outcomes in aggressive or resistant disease, we seek to transform outcomes in cancer care.
Radioconjugates (RCs)
Advancing next-generation therapies to redefine radiotherapy
Radioconjugates are medicines that combine a potent medical radioisotope with a targeting molecule such as an antibody, peptide or small molecule via a chemical linker.12 Radioconjugates can deliver a radiation dose directly to cancer cells, with potential for more targeted delivery to reduce damage to surrounding healthy tissue and have the potential to bring transformative outcomes for many patients with cancer.12
Our vision at AstraZeneca is for radioconjugates to redefine radiotherapy regimens and to become the backbone for novel cancer therapies, including combination approaches.
Cell therapy
Engineering living cells to target complex cancers
Cell therapy uses living immune cells to fight disease. In cancer, cells are engineered to better recognise and destroy tumours. These may come from the patient or a donor. The aim is to boost immune response and provide lasting protection. By engineering a patient’s T cells outside the body and then reintroducing them, we can help the immune system recognise and attack tumours more effectively.13
Current cell therapies, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR T) and T cell receptor therapies (TCR T), have shown significant success in blood cancers and hold promise for difficult-to-treat solid tumours.13-15
At AstraZeneca, we are expanding the potential of these therapies by improving their tumour targeting, persistence and ability to function within the suppressive tumour environment.
We are also advancing off-the-shelf cell therapies that aim to overcome challenges of scalability and accessibility, to bring the benefits to more patients.
Immune cell engagers
Mobilising the immune system to better detect and treat cancer
Immune cell engagers are a class of multispecific antibodies designed to activate the immune system against cancer. 16,17 They work by redirecting the immune system’s own cells, most commonly T cells, to recognise and kill cancer cells. 15,16 One part of the molecule binds to a target antigen expressed on a cancer cell, while another binds to a trigger molecule on the T cell, such as CD3, bringing the two cells into close proximity. 16,17 This forms a synthetic synapse that triggers a new immune response against cancer.16,17
This modality offers a novel way to enhance anti-tumour immunity by tapping into a larger pool of immune cells than traditional immunotherapies, including in patients with a weak or absent anti-tumour response.17
The first generation of immune-cell engagers were bispecific antibodies targeting CD3, which is expressed on all T cells.18 At AstraZeneca, we are advancing next-generation platforms, including trispecific CD8+ selective T-cell engagers designed to preferentially engage CD8+ T cells, a sub-group of T cells with important roles in the prevention and elimination of cancer.
Tumour drivers and resistance (TDR)
Targeting the genetic signals that fuel cancer
Cancers are often driven by genetic mutations and signalling pathways that allow tumour cells to grow, spread and resist treatment. These tumour drivers and resistance mechanisms can vary widely between patients, making them critical targets for personalised therapy.19
At AstraZeneca, we are mapping the molecular pathways that underlie different tumour types, including mutations in genes such as KRAS, PIK3CA, EGFR and BRAF. Our aim is to disrupt these pathways using targeted therapies that block tumour growth and delay the development of resistance.
We are also exploring how resistance emerges over time and designing novel combination strategies to overcome it. This includes combining targeted therapies with immunotherapy, ADCs or DDR agents to help extend the effectiveness of treatment and provide more sustained outcomes.
Epigenetics
Exploring how gene expression shapes cancer behaviour
Epigenetics refers to changes in how genes are expressed without altering the DNA sequence itself.20 In cancer, these changes can silence tumour suppressor genes or activate genes that promote uncontrolled growth.21
At AstraZeneca, our research is focused on identifying the epigenetic drivers of cancer and developing inhibitors that can reset how cancer cells behave. By targeting these processes, we may be able to reverse resistance, improve treatment sensitivity and open new therapeutic options for patients.
We are also exploring how epigenetic changes affect the tumour microenvironment, and how they can be used to guide combination strategies with immunotherapy, targeted agents or chemotherapy.
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References
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21. Michalak EM et al. The roles of DNA, RNA and histone methylation in ageing and cancer. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2019;20(10):573–589.
Veeva ID: Z4-78770
Date of preparation: March 2026