Boehringer Ingelheim Acquires AMAL Therapeutics, Significantly Enriching Its Cancer Immunology Portfolio with Novel Cancer Vaccines Platform
15.7.2019 15:00:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Boehringer Ingelheim today announced its acquisition of all shares of AMAL Therapeutics SA, a private Swiss biotechnology company focused on cancer immunotherapy and advancing first-in-class therapeutic cancer vaccines derived from its technology platform KISIMA. AMAL’s lead vaccine ATP128 is currently developed for stage IV colorectal cancer and is slated to begin first-in-human trials later this month. Boehringer Ingelheim plans to develop new therapies by combining assets from its cancer immunology portfolio with AMAL’s proprietary KISIMA immunization platform.
“Acquiring AMAL is part of Boehringer Ingelheim’s long-term strategy to enhance our existing position as an innovator of novel cancer therapies, including immuno-oncology treatments, which leverage cutting-edge scientific discoveries and their applications,” said Michel Pairet, member of Boehringer Ingelheim’s Board of Managing Directors with responsibility for the company’s Innovation Unit. “We want to pioneer new paradigms of biology-based care for cancer patients, and the technologies and expertise developed at AMAL are critical to our efforts.”
The total transaction could amount up to EUR 325 million, and is comprised of an upfront payment as well as contingent clinical, development and regulatory milestones plus up to EUR 100 million if certain commercial milestones are hit.
“I am extremely proud of the hard work of AMAL’s entire team, which is validated by this acquisition, and very excited to further develop the KISIMA technology platform within Boehringer Ingelheim,” said Madiha Derouazi, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of AMAL Therapeutics. “Our new relationship with Boehringer Ingelheim will enable us to realize the full potential of our KISIMA platform to fight solid cancers while preserving AMAL’s approach to biotechnology research and our scientific and academic networks. Moreover, sharing resources and capabilities in clinical development will greatly help us to move ATP128 and other assets forward.”
Boehringer Ingelheim’s Cancer Immunology group is built to discover therapies that engage triggering of immune responses against non-inflamed, “cold” tumors, which represent a large group of cancer types refractory to many treatments, including checkpoint inhibitor drugs. Immune targeting of cold tumors is a particular challenge. AMAL’s KISIMA vaccine technology, designed to stimulate potent immune responses, is a promising therapeutic option for patients with these type of cancers.
The AMAL acquisition, along with that of the 2018 acquisition of Vira Therapeutics (Vira-T) and in-license of OSE Immunotherapeutics’ SIRP-alpha targeting antibody, significantly strengthens Boehringer Ingelheim’s strategic focus on immune cell-directed therapies. By combining its world-class in-house research and development with that of highly innovative biotechnology companies, Boehringer Ingelheim is developing innovative immuno-oncology therapies and accelerating the delivery of the next-generation of cancer treatments.
AMAL is headquartered on the medical campus of the University of Geneva, from which it was spun-out in 2012, with financial backing from a syndicate of both corporate and institutional investors, including the Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund and High-Tech Gründerfonds as the initial seed investors. Additional investments were provided by VI Partners, Helsinn Investment Fund, BioMed Partners and Schroder Adveq. AMAL’s technology platform and derived products are protected by a broad portfolio of patents and licenses.
KISIMA
Unlike prophylactic vaccines that immunize a patient to prevent an infection before it occurs, therapeutic vaccines combat existing diseases. Anti-cancer therapeutic vaccines carry antigens, pieces of protein that also are in tumors. By presenting antigens to the patient’s immune system, a vaccine can prompt tailor-made responses, including activation of killer T cells that target the tumor and can boost memory immunity to reduce the risk of relapse.
AMAL’s proprietary technology platform KISIMA enables the assembly of three functional components into one patented fusion protein used as a vaccine: First, a proprietary cell-penetrating peptide for antigen delivery; second, a proprietary toll-like receptor (TLR) peptide agonist as an adjuvant, and third, a multi-antigenic cargo that can be tailored for specific indications.
Please click on the link for Notes to Editors and References:
http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/press-release/acquisition-amal-therapeutics
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190715005351/en/
Contact information
Media Contacts:
Boehringer Ingelheim
Linda Ruckel
Associate Director, Media and Corporate Reputation
Boehringer Ingelheim U.S.
Media + PR
P: + 203-791-6672
linda.ruckel@boehringer-ingelheim.com
Dr. Reinhard Malin
Head of Communications Innovation Unit
Boehringer Ingelheim Corporate Center GmbH
Media + PR
press@boehringer-ingelheim.com
P: +49 6132 77-90815
M: + 49 151 150 20 690
www.boehringer-ingelheim.com
AMAL Therapeutics SA
Laurence de Schoulepnikoff
Chief Business Officer
Tel: +41 (0) 22 379 46 88 contact@amaltherapeutics.com
Instinctif Partners (for International and English-speaking media)
Dr. Christelle Kerouedan
Tel: +44 (0) 207 457 2020 amaltherapeutics@instinctif.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Vena Completes Acterys Acquisition to Accelerate Orchestrated Planning for the Microsoft Ecosystem26.3.2026 15:00:00 EET | Press release
Vena, the AI-powered Orchestrated Performance Management platform purpose-built to fully amplify the Microsoft technology ecosystem, today announced it has completed its acquisition of Acterys, the leading Microsoft Power BI–based operational planning and app development platform. The move strengthens Vena’s Orchestrated Planning solution and begins phased integration of the two platforms. Modern enterprises are struggling to keep up with the volatility and dynamism of the markets they serve. Market drivers and signals shift rapidly, and the ability to assess, plan and execute with confidence and speed is more important than ever. These forces, combined with overwhelming data density and disparity, have created a new constraint: decision latency—the time between signal and action. As that gap widens, confidence erodes and competitive advantage is lost. Orchestrated Planning removes decision latency by harmonizing data, people, processes and agentic capabilities to help organizations mo
Nearly Half of Global C-Suites Plan U.S. Expansion Within 12 Months, as Supply Chain and Capital Access Drive Growth26.3.2026 15:00:00 EET | Press release
Nearly half (45%) of global C-suite leaders plan to establish a legal entity in the United States within the next 12 months, highlighting continued demand for access to the U.S. market. This finding from the latest research by CSC—the leading provider of global business administration and compliance solutions—demonstrates the U.S. continues to attract investment from around the world, even as companies face an increasingly complex regulatory landscape. CSC surveyed 300 C-level executives at large organizations headquartered in Europe, the U.K., Asia Pacific, and South America to examine global sentiment toward U.S. market entry, including expansion plans, strategic drivers, and regulatory challenges.1 CSC’s report Navigating U.S. Market Entry: Insights, Risks, and Opportunities for Global Businesses details the results. The research highlights strong forward momentum toward U.S. expansion. In addition to the 45% planning to establish an entity within the next 12 months, a further 27% s
Rubedo Life Sciences Announces Positive Preliminary Phase 1 Clinical Trial Results for Lead Drug Candidate RLS-1496 in Patients with Plaque Psoriasis, Atopic Dermatitis, and Skin Aging26.3.2026 14:30:00 EET | Press release
Rubedo Life Sciences, Inc. (Rubedo), an AI-driven, clinical-stage biotech focused on discovering and rapidly developing selective cellular rejuvenation medicines targeting aging cells, today announced preliminary results from a single-center, ascending-dose, randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled trial in patients with plaque psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and skin aging (photo-aged skin). The recently completed Phase 1 clinical trial, conducted in the European Union, was designed to assess the safety, tolerability, clinical effects, plasma bioavailability, and pharmacodynamics of topical RLS-1496—the first-ever GPX4 (selective glutathione peroxidase 4) modulator to be studied in human trials, and the first specifically targeting cellular rejuvenation, an area of great interest to the scientific community as a new therapeutic pathway. The study met its primary endpoint, with RLS-1496 also demonstrating early signs of efficacy. Preliminary Trial Results RLS-1496 was well-tolerated,
GE HealthCare announces lead industrial role in largest EU-funded IHI consortium to advance cardio-oncology care across Europe26.3.2026 14:30:00 EET | Press release
GE HealthCare (Nasdaq: GEHC) today announced its leading industrial role in the new COMPASS consortium, a five-year initiative focused on improving precision cardio-oncology care and advancing early detection of cardiovascular risks in cancer patients across Europe. COMPASS combines clinical excellence with novel healthcare technology, and with a total budget of €50.5 million and more than sixty partners, it is one of the largest public-private partnerships under the IHI. Cardiovascular diseases are rising sharply among cancer patients and survivors, driven both by the increasing prevalence of pre‑existing cardiovascular conditions at diagnosis and by the expanding use of highly effective antitumor therapies - including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted therapies - many of which are associated with cardiovascular toxicities. Global studiesi show that heart-related complications are now the second leading cause of death in cancer survivors, after the cancer itself, accounting for
Lone Star Funds Completes Acquisition of Alliance Ground International26.3.2026 14:30:00 EET | Press release
Lone Star Funds (“Lone Star”) today announced that an affiliate of Lone Star Fund XII, L.P. has completed the acquisition of Alliance Ground International (“AGI”), a leading North American airport services provider. “We are excited to partner with the AGI management team to drive the business forward,” said Donald Quintin, Chief Executive Officer of Lone Star. “The company has a superior service offering and a track record of success across its integrated operations. We see opportunities to continue to invest in the business and its people to continue to grow its capabilities and ensure it remains best-in-class in delivering for the aviation industry.” “Today marks an important next step for AGI as we move forward in partnership with Lone Star,” said Jared Azcuy, Chief Executive Officer of AGI. “Our commitment to safety, reliability, and operational service excellence remains unchanged. This partnership strengthens our ability to deliver for our airline partners and reinforces that the
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom