Pfizer’s Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) and the Jeffrey Modell Foundation (JMF) announced today a collaboration agreement to conduct research in the field of immunological diseases. CTI and JMF will identify and co-fund translational research projects with leading academic medical centers within the CTI network. The goal of each research project will be to identify and validate a potential drug candidate for an immunological disease that can be moved into further clinical testing.
Vicki and Fred Modell established the Jeffrey Modell Foundation in 1987, in memory of their son Jeffrey, who died at the age of fifteen from complications of Primary Immunodeficiency, a genetic condition that is chronic, serious, and often fatal. JMF is a global non-profit organization dedicated to early diagnosis, meaningful treatments, and ultimately cures through research, physician education, public awareness, advocacy, patient support, and newborn screening. The Jeffrey Modell Centers Network (JMCN) includes 600 physicians at 248 academic institutions, in 206 cities in 79 countries, and spanning 6 continents, and growing.
The collaboration with CTI represents JMF’s first alliance with a biopharmaceutical company. “We are excited about the opportunity to collaborate with Pfizer as we broaden our commitment to make a world of difference in the lives of patients with immunological diseases,” said Vicki Modell, co-founder of the Jeffrey Modell Foundation. “JMF’s expertise in Primary Immunodeficiency and extensive network of collaborators, combined with Pfizer’s impressive research and development capabilities has the potential to identify and advance novel research projects. Together, we hope to make meaningful advancements in our understanding of immunological diseases.”
Pfizer’s Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) is a unique model for academic-foundation-industry collaborations, and to bridge the gap between early scientific discovery and its translation into potential new medicines. A key aspect of CTI is its local centers in biomedical research hubs that enable Pfizer and academic teams to work side-by-side, blending the academic institution’s expertise in disease biology, targets, and patient populations with Pfizer’s development expertise and resources. The ultimate goal of each collaborative research project is to identify a potential drug candidate that could be moved into further clinical testing. CTI now has 25 academic institutions and six foundations in its network, as well as the National Institutes of Health, with a portfolio of projects across a variety of disease areas.
