Eli Lilly has inked two separate deals, one with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to research new medicines under development to fight cancer, and the second with the Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI) to co-develop an investigational oncology compound, LY3023414, a PI3K/mTOR dual inhibitor.

Per Lilly’s agreement with Dana-Farber, over the course of three years Dana-Farber will provide R&D expertise for a number of early-stage Lilly oncology compounds. Dana-Farber researchers and Lilly scientists will work collaboratively on preclinical and clinical studies, molecular studies of patient samples and the design and conduct of clinical trials, which may result in important advances in the science of cancer care. The agreement also allows Dana-Farber scientists to conduct independent studies on select Lilly compounds. Following research conducted at Dana-Farber, the evaluated compounds will still be fully owned by Lilly.

"This is a new kind of collaboration between a comprehensive cancer center and a large pharmaceutical company," said Barrett Rollins, M.D., Ph.D., chief scientific officer of Dana-Farber. "Under this agreement, Lilly can access the expertise within Dana-Farber to help it develop multiple preclinical and clinical compounds. Together, we can bring compounds to clinical trials and to FDA approval quickly and efficiently, and thus benefit our patient population."

Financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.

Under the second agreement, SCRI will collaborate with Lilly to provide clinical development experience and program design, as well as medical oversight and trial management. Patient enrollment for the initial phase II clinical trial is underway.

The partnership supports the development of this novel targeted cancer therapy, including flexible and efficient program design and implementation, as well as more rapid patient enrollment to clinical trials by accessing SCRI's large network of patients. 

"Our clinical trial management capabilities and scientific leadership, combined with Lilly's leading drug development expertise, furthers our mission to advance therapies for patients seeking novel cancer medicines," said Dee Anna Smith, CEO of SCRI. "Through partnerships like this one, we can accelerate the time it takes to bring clinical trials into communities for those fighting cancer."