Eli Lilly and Company and Purdue University have formed a five-year, $52-million strategic collaboration for life-science research. The initial research focus areas include developing improved delivery of injectable medicines with the goals of reducing pain, decreasing the number of injections, and enabling better patient compliance and overall health.

Other areas of focus will be on developing predictive models for clinical success that reduce risks associated with investing in drug development and more effectively predicting the outcome of new therapies in humans. The collaboration envisions expansion to other areas to further utilize the range of expertise at the two institutions.

Purdue researchers from the natural and physical sciences, engineering and veterinary medicine will contribute to the interdisciplinary collaboration with Lilly researchers.

In 2015, Lilly announced plans to establish a new drug delivery and device innovation center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Lilly Cambridge Innovation Center serves as a portal for external partnerships and collaboration activities with the company’s existing research facilities in San Diego, New York City, and Indianapolis.

At the time of the announced innovation center, more than half of Lilly’s pipeline was comprised of biologics that require some type of injection. The company expects its revenues from device-enabled products to double by 2020.

Source: Purdue University