NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., Oct. 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), a research-based global biopharmaceutical company, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, announced today a strategic collaboration in which AbbVie will develop a cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) potentiator compound licensed from the Foundation. Under the terms of the agreement, AbbVie will advance the potentiator into clinical development for potential use in combination treatments for cystic fibrosis (CF).

"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.  

Financial terms were not disclosed.

About AbbVie

AbbVie is a global, research and development-based biopharmaceutical company committed to developing innovative advanced therapies for some of the world's most complex and critical conditions. The company's mission is to use its expertise, dedicated people and unique approach to innovation to markedly improve treatments across four primary therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, virology and neuroscience. In more than 75 countries, AbbVie employees are working every day to advance health solutions for people around the world. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram.

About Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is the world's leader in the search for a cure for cystic fibrosis. The Foundation funds more CF research than any other organization, and nearly every CF drug available today was made possible because of Foundation support. Based in Bethesda, Md., the Foundation also supports and accredits a national care center network that has been recognized by the National Institutes of Health as a model of care for a chronic disease. The CF Foundation is a donor-supported nonprofit organization. For more information, visit cff.org.

SOURCE AbbVie

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