Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) has recently entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Cancer Institute (NCI) to work with the latter’s Center for Cancer Research (CCR) on clinical development programs evaluating three investigational immunotherapy agents: 1) PF-04518600, which targets OX40 (CD134); 2) utomilumab or PF-05082566, which targets 4-1BB (CD137); and 3) avelumab or PF-06834635 or MSB0010718C, which is a fully human anti-PD-L1 lgG1 monoclonal antibody.

Clinical Development Program

Jeffrey Schlom, Ph.D., CCR Chief of the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, James Gulley, Ph.D., CCR Chief of the Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, and Chris Boshoff, Pfizer Global Product Development Senior Vice President (SVP) and Head of Immuno-oncology, Translational, and Early Development, will co-lead the entire clinical development program.

The three investigational immunotherapy agents will be evaluated as monotherapies, in combination with one another, and in combination with standard therapies such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, among others across different types of cancer.

“The CRADA is an important collaboration for us as we seek to realize the full potential of immunotherapy and hope to ultimately transform the cancer treatment paradigm,” elaborated Boshoff.

Prospective Randomized Evaluation of Celecoxib Integrated Safety vs. Ibuprofen or Naproxen (PRECISION) Clinical Trial Results

In other news, Pfizer has recently presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) annual meeting the results of the PRECISION clinical trial.

The results have shown that patients with osteoarthritis (OA) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA) administered with prescription doses of Celebrex (celecoxib), ibuprofen, and naproxen are at similar rates of risk for cardiovascular (CV) disease. Consequently, it addresses the notion that Celebrex is associated with higher CV risks.

The results have also demonstrated that patients treated with Celebrex are at lower risk fot gastrointestinal symptoms than patients treated with ibuprofen or naproxen.

To control OA or RA symptoms, the patients need to be regularly treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

The company will publish further clinical trial results soon. Pfizer funded the long-term PRECISION clinical trial designed in 2005, which had enrolled more than 24,000 subjects.

On Monday, Pfizer has closed at $32.38.