Boehringer Ingelheim Pays CDR-Life up to 456 Million Swiss Francs

(CONNECT) The biotech company CDR-Life from Horgen and Boehringer Ingelheim are expanding their existing collaboration to include a global license agreement for the development of CDR-Life's antibody molecule CDR111 against autoimmune diseases, according to a press release issued by both partners. Boehringer will reportedly bring CDR111 into the clinical phase. This molecule is an antibody-based T cell engager that selectively attacks and eliminates B cells. The aim is to restore the immune system to its healthy state.

Dysregulated B cells play a central role in the development of many autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as lupus, multiple sclerosis and certain forms of arthritis. Therefore, according to the two partners, an approach that profoundly depletes these cells could have broad and far-reaching potential for several indications. Carine Boustany, Boehringer's Global Head of Immunology and Respiratory Diseases, therefore attests to CDR111's "great potential to achieve a profound and lasting immune reset effect".

According to the agreement, CDR-Life, which is also a member of the Bio-Technopark Schlieren-Zurich, is entitled to payments totaling up to CHF 456 million. 38 million francs of these are advance and short-term payments. In addition, there are staggered license fees on future sales.

CDR-Life already has a long-standing partnership with Boehringer that relates to a molecule developed by the German pharmaceutical company on the Horgen-based company's M-gager platform. It is intended to preserve the vision of people with geographic atrophy and is currently in clinical phase II. Now, according to CDR Life CEO Dr. Christian Leisner, the expanded collaboration with Boehringer "underscores the growing recognition of our platform's ability to develop high-quality biologics that can lead to significant therapeutic advances". ce/mm