JDRF partners with Pfizer's CTI to support diabetes research

JDRF, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, announced today a partnership with Pfizer's Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) to support the development and translation of promising diabetes research. The collaboration, announced during the Partnering for Cures Conference in New York, will initially focus on co-funding projects in the fields of immune tolerance, diabetic nephropathy, and beta cell health. Capitalizing on JDRF's expertise in the field of T1D research and CTI's network of academic medical centers, the organizations will work together to identify and drive promising research projects.

"This is a very exciting partnership for JDRF with tremendous opportunities to work with Pfizer's Centers for Therapeutic Innovation to advance progress toward new treatments and therapies for people with type 1 diabetes," says Jeffrey Brewer, president and CEO of JDRF. "JDRF is dedicated to delivering tangible improvements in the treatment of type 1 diabetes that may improve outcomes for people with the disease until there is a cure and it no longer exists. By harnessing resources and expertise from both of our organizations, we can speed the development and delivery of better treatments that could improve millions of lives – a vision shared by JDRF and CTI."

CTI is a pioneering open-innovation partnering model designed by Pfizer, wherein Pfizer employees work side by side with leading scientific investigators and post-docs from academic medical centers to accelerate drug discovery and development. The partnership between JDRF and CTI exemplifies a results-driven model of collaboration that is enriching the landscape of research and development, where leading players from the non-profit world, industry, and academia work together to achieve tangible progress for patients. Under the terms of the collaboration, JDRF and Pfizer will co-fund up to four jointly-selected projects.

"CTI's business model is to build novel partnerships that combine our drug discovery expertise with external innovation, and we've found a great partner in JDRF," says Dr. Anthony J. Coyle, chief scientific offer at Pfizer's CTI. "Combining Pfizer's scientific resources with JDRF's deep knowledge of type 1 diabetes and excellent network of investigators, I believe we will be well-positioned to pursue better, more targeted medicines for diabetes patients."