Didier Lefebvre

Didier Lefebvre, PhD, joined the Pharma division of Abbott (now AbbVie) in 2002 following a postdoc at Bell Labs and R&D experience in the automotive sector and Academia. He quickly came to be seen as an interdisciplinary expert, leveraging skills in pharmaceutical formulation and medical devices. Over the past several years, Didier has proposed, and received support, to explore new approaches to improve the therapeutic index of company assets. He is now co-leading proof-of-concept preclinical studies to determine transability from in-vivo models to humans. These studies range from improving drug exposure to solid tumors, harnessing cerebrospinal fluid circulation to treat hard-to-reach areas of the brain, and exploring new physics-based methods to alter the biology of target tissues to make them more responsive to drug treatments. Earlier significant efforts include the development of diverse dosage forms with attributes ranging from bioavailability enhancement, extended release, tamper resistance and drug release through polymer biodegradation. Didier also made significant contributions to establishing US-based hot melt extrusion capabilities following a two-year assignment abroad. In the field of medical devices, Didier led projects including needle-free Injectors, a reusable auto-injector platform, a dermal applicator, and infusion pump designs for Vyalev. He also partnered with Commercial and Discovery teams to evaluate “Point of Care” test devices to personalize dosing, screen for, and mitigate side effects.