NEW YORK – Researchers at the Allen Institute for Immunology on Tuesday said they will work with Eli Lilly to develop precision treatments for eczema and rheumatoid arthritis.
Researchers at the Allen Institute for Immunology will collaborate with scientists at Lilly to better understand the diversity of disease states in atopic dermatitis and rheumatoid arthritis and identify biomarkers that predict treatment response. Researchers will use molecular profiling and bioinformatic analysis tools developed by the Allen Institute for this research.
"Since the creation of the institute in 2018, we have developed cutting-edge technologies that allow an unprecedented understanding of the human immune system in both health and disease," Peter Skene, director of high-resolution translational immunology at the Allen Institute for Immunology, said in a statement. "By partnering with Lilly, we will further our translational mission of impact for patients."
The learnings from this partnership could help Lilly develop precision treatments for immunology, an area where the company is already active. Lilly's immunosuppressive drug lebrikizumab is currently undergoing regulatory review in the US as a treatment for atopic dermatitis, and the monoclonal antibody peresolimab is in Phase II development in rheumatoid arthritis.
Although this collaboration with Lilly marks the first industry partnership for the Allen Institute for Immunology since its founding in 2018 as a division of the Seattle-based Allen Institute, the medical research organization is hoping to ink more partnerships with industry to translate basic science into new treatments.