University of Chicago Medicine and Eli Lilly partner for cancer trials

The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCCCC) and Eli Lilly and Company have entered a two-year partnership aimed at expanding patient access to cancer clinical trials. The collaboration seeks to move beyond traditional sponsor-site relationships that focus on individual studies, instead creating an integrated framework based on shared goals and continuous collaboration.

By utilizing UCCCC’s network across Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, the partnership intends to make investigational therapies more accessible to patients closer to where they live and receive care. This includes future access through the UChicago Medicine AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion, a freestanding facility scheduled to open in Hyde Park in April 2027.

The initiative aims to address low enrollment rates, noting that a 2024 study estimated only 7% of cancer patients in the U.S. enroll in clinical trials. The partnership focuses on improving research efficiency, enhancing patient monitoring, and increasing awareness of trial opportunities throughout various stages of cancer treatment.