Evolving research landscapes warrant updates in drug development strategy. Collaborations between pharmaceutical industry and academic institutions are crucial for accelerating drug development, leveraging individual expertise in clinical trial conduct and pathophysiological investigations. This review highlights key collaborations between Pfizer and academic institutions in inflammation and immunology research, including dermatology, gastroenterology, rheumatology, and autoimmunity. These collaborations harness and enhance the development of innovative disease models, large clinical databases, registries, and novel clinical trial designs, and open new avenues in disease management to improve patient outcomes.