Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc and the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) have joined forces in an effort to research the progressive and fatal lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to a news release from Boehringer.

As part of the partnership, Boehringer and DCRI will initiate a prospective, multi-center IPF registry in the United States, and establish a biomarker bank to identify potential blood or genetic markers of IPF that correlate with patient outcomes.

Referred to as the idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis outcomes registry (IPF-PRO), the long-term study will collect and analyze data over time from a large group of patients.

Boehringer Ingelheim also noted that this prospective, observational study – scheduled to launch shortly – is designed to provide a better understanding of the natural progression of IPF and treatment approaches for people living with IPF.

“Duke Clinical Research Institute’s new relationship with Boehringer Ingelheim is a paradigm shift in how academic institutions and industry have traditionally worked together,” said Scott Palmer, MD, MHS, director of Pulmonary Research at the Duke Clinical Research Institute and associate professor in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine at Duke University Medical School.

“Boehringer Ingelheim came to [DCRI] to discuss common interests with regard to the unmet patient needs in the area of lung disease,” Palmer adds. “As a result, a true collaboration has emerged in which we will be drawing on each other’s specific strengths and research expertise, allowing us to jointly work through ideas and develop new studies that advance patient care.”