McKesson, Amgen sign strategic agreement to help improve cancer care

McKesson (MCK) and Amgen (AMGN) have signed a strategic agreement to help improve cancer care in community oncology settings. One in five cancer patients receives an Amgen medicine, while McKesson reaches 20% of U.S. cancer patients. This multi-year agreement bridges the two companies and will focus on reducing gaps in care by optimizing access to innovative precision medicine and immuno-oncology in the community setting. This partnership will be led by Ontada, McKesson's new oncology technology and insights business. Ontada is focused on helping life sciences companies like Amgen improve patient outcomes for cancer care, from early clinical development to drug commercialization and post-launch activation of insights. Amgen and Ontada will launch various programs over the course of the partnership and build on projects that have already begun, such as those focusing on reducing gaps in molecular testing and understanding treatment patterns in the community setting. For example, Amgen and McKesson recently conducted real-world research to better understand patterns of molecular testing in advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer with community oncologists with plans to publish the findings in early 2021. Through the strategic partnership, McKesson and Amgen hope to: elevate awareness on molecular testing in order to optimize care in patients that benefit from targeted therapy; uncover insights on unmet need and treatment outcomes by enriching data and insight capabilities; leverage real-world evidence to better understand and optimize the deployment of biosimilars to offer providers and their patients greater choice of therapies relative to value; co-develop new approaches to deliver immuno-oncology therapies in the community setting and optimize therapy sequencing to improve patient outcomes including supportive care.