NORTH CHICAGO, Ill.—Dec. 5 saw AbbVie announce two collaboration deals with academic insitutions: the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Northwestern University—specifically Northwestern’s Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center. 
Both deals are formed around the goal of advancing medical oncology research and discovery at AbbVie and the respective academics partners, and in both cases AbbVie said the work will focus on several areas of oncology research, which could include lung, colorectal, breast, prostate and hematological cancer.
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Read More“As an alumnus and a former faculty member of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, I know from my own experience that we will be able to combine AbbVie’s expertise in oncology with some of the most talented academic researchers in the field of medicine today,” said Dr. Gary Gordon, vice president of oncology clinical development for AbbVie. “This collaboration will combine our resources and talent with Johns Hopkins Medicine to help further advance our ability to develop new therapies available for cancer patients in need.”
The agreement allows Johns Hopkins Medicine physicians and scientists access to explore new therapies developed by AbbVie for use in preclinical research funded by the collaboration. In addition, the relationship includes opportunities for research and development teams from both organizations to work closely to promote scientific knowledge exchange. AbbVie also gains an option for an exclusive license to certain Johns Hopkins Medicine discoveries made under the agreement.
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Read MoreAs for the other deal, Gordon said, “One of the best steps AbbVie can take to deliver new therapies in oncology is to combine our research and discovery expertise with the talents and insight of our colleagues in academic medicine. The opportunity to work with leading researchers and clinicians from the Lurie Cancer Center enhances AbbVie’s ability to help oncology patients even more in the future.”
As with the Johns Hopkins deal, the collaboration provides Lurie Cancer Center scientists with the opportunity to access new therapies developed by AbbVie for preclinical research funded under the agreement. Lurie Cancer Center scientists will also work closely with AbbVie’s research teams to support scientific knowledge exchange. In addition, the agreement provides AbbVie with the option to obtain an exclusive license of certain Lurie Cancer Center discoveries made as a result of the five-year collaboration.
