Teva has entered into a collaboration agreement with the Weizmann Institute of Science’s commercial arm Yeda Research and Development for the research and development (R&D) of antibodies to treat cancer.
The terms of the alliance include financial support from both the parties.
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Researchers from the institute, led by Dr Rony Dahan, will work with Teva’s domestic and global analysis teams to establish multiple research fields and groups.
The focus will be on immunological research, computational biology and advanced single-cell analysis capabilities. This research is expected to support Teva’s presence in the biopharmaceutical market.
Teva Global R&D executive vice-president Dr Hafrun Fridriksdottir said: “We are currently investing substantial efforts and resources in R&D on a wide range of cancer therapies that can impact the lives and health of millions of patients around the world.
“We are looking forward to embarking on this collaborative journey with top researchers at Weizmann and other Israeli academic institutions to develop innovative immunotherapy drugs for the benefit of cancer patients.”
The company has also partnered with Tel Aviv University for oncology and brain studies R&D.
In alliance with the university, Teva plans to leverage advanced analyses of the immune system to examine the efficacy of immunotherapy in distinctive models.
The partners will also seek methods to enhance antibody production using bioinformatics tools and new mechanisms to gain better insights into nervous system disorders.
The collaborations are part of Teva’s strategy to work with Israeli academia. The company is said to have identified nearly 400 laboratories at academic institutions in the country.
Also, the company will form additional academia partnerships to develop new drugs.
Teva innovative research team head Dr Steffen Nock said: “Teva is planning to carry out many more cutting-edge collaborations with researchers from leading universities and medical centres in Israel in the fields of oncology, immunology and brain studies – areas in which Israel has unique research capabilities.”
