Boehringer Ingelheim and Oxford BioTherapeutics Expand Collaboration to Discover Novel Selective Tumor Targets as First Bispecific Antibody Advanced into the Clinic

Boehringer Ingelheim and Oxford BioTherapeutics Ltd. (OBT) today announced they are building on their successful partnership and are establishing a new alliance to discover additional selective targets for strategic cancer indications to deliver first-in-class treatments for cancer patients. Boehringer Ingelheim will use OBT’s OGAP® platform to identify novel target opportunities for new immunotherapies utilizing their T-cell engager, cancer vaccine and oncolytic virus platforms. This follows the initiation of the first patient dosing in a Phase 1 clinical trial of a bispecific antibody for the treatment of patients with small cell lung carcinoma and other neoplasms, where the target for the bispecific antibody was discovered during the first phase of the partnership.

“This collaboration with Oxford BioTherapeutics is important for advancing therapeutic modalities that depend upon the identification of unique and specific tumor antigens within our cancer immunology portfolio,” said Jonathon Sedgwick, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Global Head Cancer Immunology & Immune Modulation Research at Boehringer Ingelheim. “We are committed to developing innovative, efficacious and safe treatment options for patients suffering from cancer, and these novel cancer target discoveries are a key step in the development of new potential treatments.”

“We view the hopeful discovery of additional tumor targets as further confirmation of the value of our OGAP^® platform to identify novel targets that can be substrates for innovative new therapies,” said Christian Rohlff, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of OBT. “OBT’s platforms are designed to discover and validate novel therapeutic targets and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim to best address difficult-to-treat cancers.”

In addition to the programs in the partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim, OBT’s clinical assets have also been enabled through the OGAP^® discovery platform. Selecting the right target is fundamental for the successful development of a truly first-in-class oncology product. OBT’s platforms are designed to discover novel therapeutic targets and engineer antibodies to those targets, including CAR-T, other T-cell and NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) therapeutics to best address difficult-to-treat cancers. A major differentiator between OBTs discovery platform and other approaches is the retention of the link between individual patient samples through to the design of therapeutic antibodies and diagnostic patient selection tools, increasing the overall successful transition into clinical development.

Financial terms of the expanded agreement are not being disclosed. Under the terms of the agreement, Boehringer Ingelheim is responsible for the development and commercialization of antibody product candidates that interact with the novel targets identified by OGAP^®. OBT will receive development and regulatory milestone payments and royalties on any future product sales. To date, Boehringer Ingelheim has exercised two options under the first agreement and has selected two therapeutic candidates for further development.

Boehringer Ingelheim Oncology is taking cancer on by leading the science with cancer cell directed agents, immuno-oncology therapies and their combinations to address unmet needs in lung and gastrointestinal cancers. The company invests significantly in early stage research to identify unexplored and undrugged pathways of cancer. Learn more about Boehringer Ingelheim’s innovation in oncology here.

Please click on the following link for ‘Notes to Editors’:
http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/press-release/collaboration-oxfordbiotherapeutics

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Contact information

Media Contacts:
Dr. Reinhard Malin
Head of Communications Innovation Unit
Boehringer Ingelheim Corporate Center GmbH
Media + PR
P: +49 6132 77-90815
reinhard.malin@boehringer-ingelheim.com

Linda Ruckel
Senior Associate Director, Media and Corporate Reputation
Boehringer Ingelheim U.S.
Media + PR
P: +1 203-791-6672
linda.ruckel@boehringer-ingelheim.com

Contacts for OBT
Investors:
Lee Roth
212-213-0006, ext. 331
lroth@burnsmc.com

Media:
Ryo Imai / Robert Flamm, Ph.D.
212-213-0006, ext. 315 / 364
rimai@burnsmc.com / rflamm@burnsmc.com