Eli Lilly pens $52M Purdue University R&D pact

Eli Lilly and Purdue University have teamed up to work on a new research collaboration—the biggest in Purdue’s history with a biopharma.

The five-year agreement, where Lilly will stump up a max of $52 million, will see the two work on a series of projects, from the delivery of injectable pain meds (with fewer injections), to “enabling better patient compliance and overall health.”

They are also slated to work on developing predictive models that aim to lower R&D costs and better estimate how candidates will do in the clinic.

Purdue has worked with Lilly before, but this is a step up for the pair. As Purdue president Mitch Daniels explains, “Purdue has enjoyed a long history of engagement with Lilly. Now Lilly and Purdue University are entering into a new level of collaboration that will move us forward in areas core to both institutions."

“Our investment on campus in the life sciences announced in 2016 is leading to just the types of impact we hoped to effect.”

Purdue works on a variety of biomedical research, including projects designed to overcome some of the limitations of traditional CAR-T therapy. CAR-T is a new way of treating cancer that should see its first FDA approval later this year from Novartis.

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“The biomedical revolution is upon us, but harnessing its full potential will require strong collaboration between academic research centers and industry partners,” added David Ricks, Lilly's chairman, president and CEO. “We look forward to expanding our relationship with Purdue as we work together to discover breakthrough solutions for patients.”