Jazz Pharmaceuticals and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center announced a five-year collaboration agreement with a goal of evaluating therapies for multiple hematologic malignancies, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes. 

The joint effort brings together MD Anderson’s translational medicine and clinical research capabilities with Jazz’s hematology/oncology portfolio, including its FDA-approved medicines as well as current and potential future investigational therapies. 

“This collaboration represents a significant opportunity to efficiently develop innovative therapies and therapeutic combinations,” said Tapan Kadia, M.D., associate professor of Leukemia at MD Anderson. “Our aim is to always provide leading-edge care for our leukemia patients, and it is our hope that this joint effort will result in new treatment solutions.”

The initial focus of the collaboration is to evaluate and generate additional data for Vyxeos® (daunorubicin and cytarabine) liposome for injection, in new patient populations and in combination with other therapies.  

“Jazz is committed to providing meaningful medicines for people with hematologic cancers, particularly those with serious unmet clinical needs,” said Allen Yang, M.D., Ph.D., vice president and acting chief medical officer of Jazz Pharmaceuticals. “We look forward to collaborating with MD Anderson to help advance treatment options for patients as part of our growing hematology oncology therapeutic area.”

Vyxeos received FDA approval in August 2017 for the treatment of adults with newly-diagnosed therapy-related (t-AML) or AML with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML-MRC), which represents part of high-risk or secondary AML populations. AML-MRC is more common in older patients who often do not respond well to intensive chemotherapy; while t-AML can occur as a result of previous chemotherapy or radiation therapy.