AbbVie and Northwestern University's Lurie Cancer Center to collaborate on multi-year cancer research agreement

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. and CHICAGO, Dec. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), a global biopharmaceutical company, and Northwestern University today announced they signed a five-year collaboration agreement with the goal of advancing research and discovery in oncology. Together, AbbVie and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University will work in several areas of oncology research, which in addition to others could include, lung, colorectal, breast, prostate and hematological cancer.

"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," said Gary Gordon, M.D., Ph.D., vice president, oncology clinical development, AbbVie. "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."

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.

"The ability to investigate new therapeutic agents with AbbVie provides us with a great opportunity to expand our translational oncology efforts," said Leonidas C. Platanias, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Lurie Cancer Center. "Our partnership with AbbVie will facilitate and accelerate the development of innovative new therapies against a wide variety of different cancers."

A joint steering committee comprised of representatives from both organizations will determine the research projects that the collaboration will undertake. Researchers from AbbVie and the Lurie Cancer Center will also hold a symposium at least once each year to discuss their joint research and potential ideas for new research projects.

About AbbVie  
AbbVie is a global, research-based biopharmaceutical company formed in 2013 following separation from Abbott Laboratories. The company's mission is to use its expertise, dedicated people and unique approach to innovation to develop and market advanced therapies that address some of the world's most complex and serious diseases. Together with its wholly-owned subsidiary, Pharmacyclics, AbbVie employs more than 28,000 people worldwide and markets medicines in more than 170 countries. For further information on the company and its people, portfolio and commitments, please visit www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter or view careers on our Facebook or LinkedIn page.

About the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University
Lurie Cancer Center, one of only 47 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the country, is committed to being a national leader in the battle to overcome cancer. To this end, Lurie Cancer Center is dedicated to scientific discovery, advancing medical knowledge, providing compassionate, state-of-the-art cancer care, and training the next generation of clinicians and scientists. Outstanding basic, translational, and clinical research complements a full range of prevention, early detection, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care programs for all types of cancer. For information about Lurie Cancer Center's patient care, programs and services, research and clinical trials, please visit cancer.northwestern.edu.

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