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UCLA, Bristol-Myers Squibb join hands for immuno-oncology research

Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have signed a collaboration agreement as part of immuno-oncology rare population malignancy (I-O RPM) research program in the US.

Through the I-O RPM program, BMS and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA will carry out a range of early phase clinical trials.

The company will fund positions within the university’s fellowship program in the UCLA division of hematology/oncology.

BMS US medical head Laura Bessen said: "The I-O RPM research program is an important complement to Bristol-Myers Squibb’s broad research and development program for immuno-oncology.

"We look forward to working with UCLA in an effort to continue advancing the science in this innovative field of research and cancer treatment."

Under the I-O RPM research program, BMS and several academic-based cancer centers will investigate immuno-oncology therapeutics as potential treatment options for patients with high-risk and poor prognostic cancers, described as a rare population malignancy.

BMS said a rare population malignancy is a subpopulation within a higher incident disease population. Patients with this type of malignancy have aggressive disease with an increased possibility for early metastasis to several sites and/or are initially refractory or subject to early recurrences with conventional cancer therapies.

Moffitt Cancer Center joined the program in September this year. Other partners include Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, the Northwestern Medicine Developmental Therapeutics Institute and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins.