AstraZeneca to develop cardiovascular disease treatments with university

WILMINGTON, Del. AstraZeneca has inked a collaboration with the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., to develop treatments for cardiovascular disease, the Anglo-Swedish drug maker announced Tuesday.

The two will develop new treatments for coronary artery disease, with a secondary focus on peripheral vascular disease, identifying disease mechanisms and biological targets as starting points for creating new medicines. Financial terms were not disclosed.

“This is an area of high unmet medical need: Atherosclerosis is a primary cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality,” AstraZeneca VP cardiovascular and gastrointestinal research Bjorn Wallmark said. “AstraZeneca is committed to finding innovative solutions. By partnering with the University of Virginia and working together on the complex biology of these diseases, it increases the potential of delivering new treatment options.”