The University of Chicago and AbbVie have formed a five-year collaboration agreement designed to improve the pace of discovery and advance medical research in oncology at both organizations.The joint strategic research agreement between AbbVie and the University of Chicago is designed to encourage and strengthen collaboration among researchers. Initially, both organizations will work together to advance research in several areas of oncology, which could include, among others, breast, lung, prostate, colorectal and hematological cancer. Research projects are chosen by a joint steering committee, comprised of representatives from each organization. AbbVie also gains an option for an exclusive license to certain University of Chicago discoveries made under the agreement.

As part of the agreement, AbbVie will provide funding for the collaboration that may be used for purposes including preclinical research, clinical trials and possible future programs at the University resulting from this partnership. The overall collaborative efforts will provide University of Chicago physicians and scientists with the opportunity to participate in AbbVie-sponsored clinical trials, access to new therapies developed by AbbVie for use in preclinical research funded under the collaboration, as well as opportunities to work closely with AbbVie’s research and development teams to promote scientific knowledge exchange.

As part of the collaborative agreement, researchers from the University of Chicago and AbbVie will participate in an annual symposium that brings together scientists from both institutions to discuss research and evaluate potential new projects.

Source: AbbVie