AstraZeneca partners with Seres Therapeutics

Preclinical and early clinical evidence from research by Parker Institute researcher and MD Anderson surgeon Dr. Jennifer Wargo, who collaborates with Boston-based Seres since 2017, suggests that the composition of the gut microbiome impacts clinical response to checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy and supports the hypothesis that modification of the microbiome may improve outcomes. Under the three-year collaboration with AstraZeneca, Seres Therapeutics will investigate both, microbiome signatures that identify responders to immune checkpoint blockade as well as defined microbial composition boosting responses to cancer immune therapies.

Under the R&D collaboration, AstraZeneca has acquired the right to study combination therapies of SER-401, a microbiome signature found in patients who respond to PD1 blockers, with checkpoint inhibitors from AZ’s cancer pipeline. Under a collaboration with Dr. Wargo, Seres currently is in a Phase Ib trial, to find out if Ser-401 can promote responses to PD1 checkpoint blockade in patients with metastatic melanoma. 

Seres will maintain full rights to oncology targeted microbiome therapeutic candidates arising from the collaboration with AZ. However, AstraZeneca will have the option to negotiate for rights to those programs and other inventions arising out of the collaboration.