Mohit Manrao, head of AstraZeneca’s US oncology business unit, explained the company’s diverse approach in an interview, including investments in ADCs, cell therapy and radiopharmaceuticals.

The UK-based biotech will license its Pyramid platform to MSD to develop anticancer compounds targeting p53, a key transcription factor dubbed the ‘guardian of the genome’ that has proven highly complex and challenging to drug.

The UK major is acquiring CinCor in a deal that could be worth up to $1.8bn, in return getting hold of its Phase II hypertension candidate, baxdrostat, which offers combination potential with Farxiga.

The UK major has been building its cell therapy portfolio for about three years internally, oncology R&D chief Susan Galbraith tells Scrip, and the purchase of Neogene and its TCR-Ts targeting neoantigens in solid cancers is a logical step.