Pfizer and Adaptive Biotechnologies have entered into a translational research collaboration to leverage next gen sequencing of the adaptive immune system to advance Pfizer’s immuno-oncology pipeline. The companies will combine drug development and platform technology biomarker expertise to identify patients who may benefit from immunotherapy.

Adaptive’s immunosequencing platform measures the patient’s immune-cell repertoire, providing a translational tool to accelerate Pfizer’s immuno-oncology biomarker and drug development programs. Adaptive will work with Pfizer to apply its platform technology, bioinformatics capability, and scientific expertise.

“Immunotherapy is one of the most important advances in cancer therapy and offers the potential for long term disease control for many patients,” said Chris Boshoff, vice president and head of Early Development, Translational and Immuno-Oncology at Pfizer Oncology. “Pfizer is investing significantly in this space. The collaboration with Adaptive Biotechnologies supports our strategy of accelerating the development of potentially innovative new combination treatments by allowing us to develop a differentiated and competitive understanding of the immune landscape in specific tumor types.”

“This collaboration with Pfizer is evidence of the immense impact immune repertoire profiling may have on the immuno-oncology space,” said Chad Robins, president, chief executive officer and co-founder at Adaptive Biotechnologies. “Adaptive’s ability to precisely measure a patient’s immune response to cancer before and after treatment provides a universal tool that will help bolster our understanding of immuno-oncology approaches.”