AstraZeneca’s MedImmune subsidiary has reached an agreement with US-based pharmaceutical major Pfizer for the potential cancer treatment tremelimumab.

MedImmune will assume global development rights to the CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody, whereas Pfizer will retain the rights to use the drug alongside combination therapies.

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MedImmune Research and Development head Bahija Jallal said: "Adding another immunotherapeutic approach to our oncology pipeline… exemplifies our continued commitment to embracing this new era of cancer."

Tremelimumab has had something of a chequered past, with Pfizer discontinuing a late-stage trial of the drug in 2008 following a review of interim data that showed the drug would not out-perform standard chemotherapy.

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