Drug Discovery
Acerta Pharma, in close collaboration with research groups in AstraZeneca, takes an innovative approach to discover, develop and deliver targeted novel transformational medicines for patients with haematological malignancies.
We aim to develop small-molecule drugs that have the potential to change patients’ lives and address key unmet medical needs in Haematologic malignancies. We are advancing the scientific understanding of disease pathways in oncology through our extensive portfolio of investigational and approved agents, including our covalent BTK inhibitor CALQUENCE® (acalabrutinib).
Both at the level of research and development, Acerta scientists work closely with R&D colleagues from AstraZeneca in Cambridge (UK), Waltham (Boston, US) and Gaithersburg (US), and Gothenburg (Sweden).
Resistance Biology
The AstraZeneca and Acerta research organization has deep expertise in innovative drug profiling technologies. Our multi-omic platforms enables the characterization of underlying complex biology in various cell subsets.
This exceptional capability reveals the impact of our drug candidates on tumor and non-tumor cell populations in clinically relevant tissues. In addition, we are developing several novel pharmacodynamic assays to support growing haematology pipeline.
CALQUENCE is a highly selective inhibitor of BTK, a kinase in the B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling pathway, and a driving factor for B-cell malignancies. Matched blood samples from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), collected before CALQUENCE therapy and after 6 months or at disease progression, offer a unique opportunity to explore the changes in CLL tumor biology under therapeutic pressure. Patient’s peripheral blood samples receive the most comprehensive set of analyses covering genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, phospho-signaling, and ex-vivo drug sensitivity profiling. The goal is to identify signatures that correlate with disease and point to potential mechanisms of resistance. Altogether, we are establishing several unparalleled platforms that provide rationale for new combination therapies, as well as novel drug targets.
Innovative Clinical Studies
Acerta Pharma and AstraZeneca are working together to combine our extensive haematology portfolio and focus on innovative clinical strategies. In addition to monotherapies, our clinical development programmes explore rational combinations, built on ground-breaking pre-clinical science, to improve outcomes for patients throughout their treatment journey.
These combinations are delivered through innovative master protocols that enable us to evaluate multiple combinations of agents in the context of a single master protocol. Doing so allows us to answer more questions in less time and accelerate the delivery of effective therapeutic combinations to patients. As therapies in development for hematological malignancies are aiming for deeper, more durable responses, assessing measurable residual disease (MRD) is becoming an essential part of clinical studies since MRD may be a predictor of duration of response (PFS/OS). Our Translational Medicine (TM) team is actively implementing MRD endpoints in our clinical trials to understand what treatments can drive MRD to undetectable levels. To support this, the TM team is evaluating several methods, including flow cytometry and DNA-based MRD assays, to measure MRD in heme indications.
BTK Overview
BTK plays a key role in the B-cell receptor, or BCR, pathway which regulates the development, function, and survival of the B cell.
Acerta Pharma in Haematology
Acerta Pharma is pushing the boundaries of science to redefine care in haematology. We are expanding our commitment to patients with haematologic conditions.
By targeting haematological conditions with high unmet medical needs, we aim to deliver innovative medicines and approaches to improve patient outcomes. Our goal is to transform the lives of patients living with malignant, rare and other related haematologic diseases, shaped by insights from patients and caregivers to have the most meaningful impact.
We follow the science to transform patient care wherever significant unmet need exists. Our approach is epitomized by Calquence which currently reaches thousands of blood cancer patients across the world as a best-in-class BTK inhibitor for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), backed by years of data and real-world experience proving it’s effective, durable and tolerable.