Numab and Boehringer Enter into Collaboration to Develop Multi-specific Antibody Therapeutics for Cancer and Retinal Diseases
Boehringer Ingelheim and Numab Therapeutics (Numab) announced that they have entered into a research collaboration and worldwide licensing agreement. It will start with two projects aiming at novel therapies for difficult-to-treat lung and gastrointestinal (GI) cancers and patients with geographic atrophy (GA), a progressive, irreversible retinal disease that occurs in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) for which there is no current treatment. The collaboration brings together Boehringer Ingelheim’s leading expertise in the research and development of life changing breakthrough therapies with Numab’s multi-specific antibody platform.
Lung and GI cancers and retinal diseases are key focus areas of Boehringer Ingelheim’s research and development program. In oncology the company has built a broad and diverse pipeline, combining cancer immunology and cancer cell directed approaches. The novel T-cell engager to be developed with Numab adds to Boehringer Ingelheim’s growing cancer immunology portfolio and supports the strategy to take cancer on by targeting ‘cold’ tumors with synergistic combination approaches. In retinal diseases Boehringer Ingelheim is pursuing a holistic approach leveraging existing expertise in oncology, inflammation, neurodegeneration, fibrosis and cardiometabolic diseases. The new GA program with Numab further broadens the company’s comprehensive portfolio of next generation retinal therapy approaches in various stages of development up to Phase 2 in macular degeneration and diabetic retinal diseases.
“We are thrilled to work with the excellent team at Numab to advance our portfolio assets. Numab’s technology platform fits well with our internal antibody discovery and engineering capabilities and will enhance our efforts to deliver transformative antibody-based therapeutics to patients,” said Paige Mahaney, SVP and US Discovery Research Site Head at Boehringer Ingelheim.
“We are looking forward to working with Boehringer Ingelheim, a global leader in pharmaceutical R&D with profound expertise across a broad spectrum of therapeutic areas, further validating our technology platform. This addition to our growing roster of partnerships represents another key milestone in our business development efforts,” commented Dr. Oliver Middendorp, Chief Business Officer of Numab Therapeutics. “The upfront payment and near-term milestones attached to this alliance will further strengthen Numab’s ability to accelerate the development of key proprietary assets.”
Under the terms of the alliance, the partners will work together to discover one novel multi-specific antibody drug candidate in each area. Boehringer Ingelheim receives from Numab an exclusive worldwide license to develop and commercialize the resulting candidates in exchange for upfront and milestone payments, as well as tiered royalties on net sales of all products resulting from the alliance.
With today’s announcement, Numab has been able to secure seven ongoing relationships with leading pharmaceutical companies including 3SBio / Sunshine Guojian, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eisai Co., Ltd., CStone Pharmaceuticals, Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Kaken Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Tillotts Pharma AG.