AstraZeneca has entered into a collaboration with the Cancer Research U.K. (CRUK) Cambridge Institute to temporarily locate up to 60 AstraZeneca scientists in the Institute.

The CRUK Cambridge Institute, part of the University of Cambridge, is located on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, the future site of AstraZeneca's U.K.-based global strategic R&D center and corporate headquarters.

AstraZeneca researchers will work alongside counterparts at the CRUK Cambridge Institute's state-of-the-art laboratories for up to three years. The move will help to accelerate the integration of the company's scientists into the Cambridge scientific community ahead of the anticipated opening of the new headquarters in 2016. The co-location of researchers also will support the existing projects between AstraZeneca, the CRUK Cambridge Institute and other organizations including the University of Cambridge Department of Oncology, the MRC Cancer Unit and Addenbrooke's Hospital on a number of clinical and preclinical oncology projects.

Professor Patrick Maxwell, Regius Professor of Physic and head of the University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine said, "This is a tremendous opportunity for scientists to learn from one another and potentially take that knowledge into all stages of cancer research. We have an open innovation approach at the campus with a range of companies who have a presence on the site and we are delighted to welcome AstraZeneca during this interim period."

Oncology is one of three core therapeutic areas for AstraZeneca and the CRUK Cambridge Institute, part of the Cambridge Cancer Center, is the largest single facility conducting cancer research in the University of Cambridge.

Mene Pangalos, executive vice president, Innovative Medicines & Early Development at AstraZeneca, said, "In choosing to locate one of our three global R&D centers at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, we have made a clear statement of intent about putting science at the heart of everything we do. That's why this early collaboration with the CRUK Cambridge Institute is so exciting, as it represents another step in our efforts to create a permeable research infrastructure, building strong relationships with the vibrant bioscience community in the city as we work on developing the innovative medicines of the future."