Lilly, Pfizer and Merck to collaborate on cancer research

Lilly is to work together with fellow pharmaceutical firms Pfizer and Merck Sharpe and Dohme on a new joint initiative into cancer research.

The three companies are allying to create the Asian Cancer Research Group, a not-for-profit body dedicated to investigating and treating the growing problem of gastric and lung cancers in Asia.

However, the firms stated that the benefits of this initiative will be extended worldwide, as it will also involve the creation of a publicly available database of profiled tumour samples.

This will be created over the next two years and is to consist of data from approximately 2,000 tissue samples, making it one of the largest pharmacogenomic cancer databases yet compiled.

Dr Kerry Blanchard, vice president and leader of drug development in China for Lilly, said: “This company will aid researchers around the world to develop diagnostics, tailor current treatments and develop novel therapies to improve outcomes for affected patients with lung, gastric and perhaps other forms of cancer.”

Earlier this month, Lilly published results from a new study of its pain relief drug Cymbalta in order to demonstrate its efficacy in treating lower back pain.