Indiana Biosciences Research Institute Announces Research Partnership with Elanco Animal Health
Indianapolis (April 8, 2026) — The Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (IBRI) is pleased to announce a new research partnership with Elanco Animal Health (Elanco) focused on developing a novel feline induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived renal cell model for chronic kidney disease.
Indiana hosts one of the most concentrated clusters of global life science leaders in the country, establishing itself as a destination for innovation and collaboration across human, animal, and plant health. This year-long partnership underscores this leadership by leveraging the expertise of IBRI’s iPSC and cellular pharmacology teams, led by Abdul Syed, PhD and Louis Stancato, PhD.
Insights gained from this partnership have the potential to support Elanco’s therapeutic development priorities, which could demonstrate promising applications across both animal and human health.
“This collaboration brings together complementary expertise to address a significant gap in preclinical models for chronic kidney disease,” said Dr. Syed. “By developing a feline iPSC-derived renal model, we can generate more predictive data and better understand disease biology in ways that can inform therapeutic development. Importantly, once established, these feline iPSC lines will serve as a versatile platform for modeling a wide range of diseases beyond kidney disorders, enabling broader applications in translational research and accelerating the development of targeted therapies across multiple indications.”
Alan Palkowitz, PhD, IBRI President and CEO, added, “We are pleased to partner with Elanco to advance this important work. This collaboration demonstrates the potential of iPSC technology to address complex challenges and is reflective of the cutting-edge science being pursued at both Elanco and IBRI.”
About Indiana Biosciences Research Institute
The Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (IBRI) is a first-in-class translational medicine institute dedicated to advancing life sciences in the race to eliminate disease and improve human health and life. By connecting early-stage biotech companies with cutting-edge life science discoveries—and backed by the mission and resources of industry leaders, investors, and philanthropic partners—IBRI is successfully evolving a new, independent model to conquer disease, uniting previously fragmented forces in the quest for cures. To learn more, visit www.indianabiosciences.org.
About Elanco
Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN) is a global leader in animal health dedicated to innovating and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets, creating value for farmers, pet owners, veterinarians, stakeholders and society as a whole. With 70 years of animal health heritage, we are committed to breaking boundaries and going beyond to help our customers improve the health of animals in their care, while also making a meaningful impact on our local and global communities. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People. Learn more at www.elanco.com.
