AbbVie and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation have entered a strategic collaboration in which AbbVie will develop a cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) potentiator compound licensed from the Foundation. Under the agreement, AbbVie will advance the potentiator into clinical development for potential use in combination treatments for cystic fibrosis (CF). Financial terms were not disclosed.

“We believe the fastest way to deliver transformational medicines for patients is by investing in the best science, both inside and outside our walls,” said Janet Hammond, M.D., Ph.D., Vice President, Infectious Diseases and General Medicine, AbbVie. “AbbVie is committed to developing a broader range of treatment options for people with CF and their families. This agreement allows us to use our clinical development expertise to potentially advance the standard of care in CF.”

“Modulator therapies represent the most transformative treatment advance in the history of CF,” said William Skach, M.D., Senior Vice President of Research Affairs, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  “With this collaboration, we are excited about the potential to identify new therapeutic options for people with CF and to continue our relentless pursuit of treatments for the underlying cause of CF for every person with the disease.”

Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening, progressive, genetic disease that causes persistent lung infections and limits the ability to breathe over time.  In people with CF, mutations in the CFTR gene cause the CFTR protein to become dysfunctional. AbbVie is currently investigating combinations of potentiator and corrector molecules that target CFTR to improve outcomes for people with CF.