Boehringer Ingelheim and The Lieber Institute for Brain Development to Collaborate to Develop Centrally Acting COMT Inhibitors for Treatment of Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Boehringer Ingelheim and the Lieber Institute for Brain Development (LIBD) today announced a joint research and licensing collaboration focused on the development of novel centrally acting COMT (catechol-O-methyltransferase) inhibitors for the potential treatment of cognitive deficits in a spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. Aligning with a circuitry-based approach to precision psychiatry, the collaboration will leverage Boehringer Ingelheim’s deep experience in central nervous system (CNS) drug discovery and development alongside Lieber’s expertise in centrally acting COMT inhibitors. Ultimately, the partnership will focus on advancing novel COMT inhibitor candidates into the clinic.
“Psychiatric disorders including cognitive impairment in schizophrenia have historically been difficult indications to treat and continue to remain areas of high unmet need. This collaboration with the Lieber Institute further expands our innovative neuropsychiatric research program, a key focus area at Boehringer Ingelheim, with a first-in-class mechanism that may have the potential to address these symptoms,” said Dr. Hugh Marston, Ph.D., Head of Department CNS Diseases Research at Boehringer Ingelheim. “By combining our expertise, we hope to make significant steps forward to finding solutions for patients for which there currently is no treatment.”
COMT, a dopamine metabolizing enzyme, is key to the modulation of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of the brain. Adequate function of dopamine signaling is critical for a number of cognitive and behavioral processes that are impaired in a variety of neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders such as schizophrenia. While peripherally acting COMT inhibitors are currently used as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, this new collaboration is investigating centrally acting COMT inhibitors in neuropsychiatric disorders.
Recent studies from the Lieber Institute suggest an important role of centrally acting COMT inhibitors in the potential symptomatic treatment of various neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. The potential of centrally acting COMT inhibitors has not yet been evaluated in the clinic due to the unavailability of such compounds. In partnering with the Lieber Institute, Boehringer Ingelheim has in-licensed preclinical pipeline candidates, representing a first-in-class approach for targets in neuropsychiatric disorders.
“The Lieber Institute has a long-standing effort exploring centrally acting COMT inhibitors as part of its mission to understand the genetic and molecular mechanisms of schizophrenia and related brain disorders,” said Daniel R. Weinberger, M.D., LIBD CEO & Director. “We are excited to embark on this partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim to identify potential therapeutic candidates and advance them to clinical development in order to help improve the lives of those affected by this serious mental health condition.”
Financial details of the collaboration were not disclosed.
Please click on the following link for ‘Notes to Editors’:
http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/press-release/collaboration-libd
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/20210316005641/en/
Contact information
Media Contacts
Sarah Soetbeer
Boehringer Ingelheim Corporate Center GmbH
Media + PR
P: +49 6132 77 183874
press@boehringer-ingelheim.com
Linda Ruckel
Associate Director, Media and Corporate Reputation
Boehringer Ingelheim U.S.
Media + PR
P: +1 203-791-6672
press@boehringer-ingelheim.com
Jean DuBose
Lieber Institute for Brian Development
media@libd.org
P: +1 443-676-4363
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
IQM to Invest Over €40 Million to Expand Finland Production Facility, Accelerate Innovation and Fuel Growth26.11.2025 10:49:00 EET | Press release
IQM Quantum Computers, a global leader in superconducting quantum computers, today announced over €40 million investment to expand its state-of-the-art production facility in Finland. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251126943986/en/ This strategic expansion will accelerate the development, fabrication and testing of advanced quantum processing units and the assembly of quantum computers, paving the way for scalable, error-corrected quantum systems that will power the next era of computing. The expansion aligns with the company’s recent Series B fundraise of over $300 million. The facility, which will spread over 8,000 square meters, will expand the company’s cleanroom area quantum data centre. It will also double its assembly line capacity, enabling to produce over 30 full-stack quantum computers per year, helping to meet the growing demand for its systems and support research innovation and development activi
Thredd Powers Successful Migration of BigPay’s Card Portfolio to Next-Gen Platform26.11.2025 10:00:00 EET | Press release
Thredd, the leading next-generation global payments processor, has successfully migrated BigPay’s virtual and physical card portfolio from its previous, legacy processor to Thredd’s next-generation platform, underscoring Thredd’s leadership in complex card portfolio migrations. The migration project, one of several in recent years, included over 2.5 million cards and highlights Thredd’s unique combination of deep migration experience, robust processes, and advanced technology—qualities increasingly critical as the industry faces a wave of modernisation and replatforming. This achievement comes at a pivotal moment for the industry. Industry analysts estimate that retail banks failing to modernise could see 10% to 15% of their payments revenue at risk annually as legacy platforms struggle to keep pace with demands for hyperpersonalization, digital experiences, faster time-to-market, and operational efficiencies. With more than 100 million cards per year expected to move to modern platfor
With Two in Five Employees Undergoing Fertility Treatment Leaving Their Jobs or Considering Quitting, Are Companies Doing Enough?26.11.2025 09:00:00 EET | Press release
An international survey, spanning Australia, France, Japan, Poland and the UK, has found that many employees experiencing fertility challenges lack support in the workplace, with almost two in five (39%) leaving or considering leaving their roles while undergoing treatment.1 ‘The Impact of Fertility Challenges at Work: International Insights’ survey by Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Fertility Matters at Work and This Can Happen shows that, despite growing awareness of reproductive health, two thirds (67%) who have experienced fertility challenges say that their workplaces do not offer support for employees undergoing fertility treatment, with France the least likely to provide it (88%).1 60% said they were not clearly entitled to time off for fertility appointments, with time recorded as paid leave, unpaid leave or annual leave (26%), and some also reported taking sick leave due to a lack of flexibility (17%).1 With assisted reproduction therapy, including IVF, already accounting for up to 1
Venture Global and Tokyo Gas Announce 20-Year LNG Sales and Purchase Agreement26.11.2025 02:00:00 EET | Press release
Today, Venture Global, Inc. (NYSE: VG) and Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd announced the execution of a new, long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA). Under the SPA, Tokyo Gas will procure 1 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of LNG from Venture Global for 20 years, starting in 2030. This deal marks 7.75MTPA of SPAs signed by Venture Global in the last six months. “With nearly 8 MTPA of new long-term commitments signed this year, Venture Global is pleased to build on our commercial momentum through this new partnership with Tokyo Gas,” said Venture Global CEO Mike Sabel. “Tokyo Gas is a pioneer in the LNG industry and leading provider of natural gas to Japan, and we look forward to working with them as we grow our position as a top LNG supplier to Japan. This agreement will contribute significantly to the US-Japan balance of trade over the duration of the SPA, providing Japan with affordable, reliable American LNG.” About Venture Global Venture Global is an American pro
Airship Study: No-Code Native App Experiences Double Purchase Frequency (+140%), Offering Path to Profitable Holiday Growth26.11.2025 01:08:00 EET | Press release
Mobile-first customer experience company Airship today released new aggregate data analysis findings showing that no-code native app experiences significantly increase conversion for key lifecycle events and more than double purchase frequency. The Airship "Experience Impact” research, which studied over 1,000 in-app retail experiences and 1.7 billion device sessions, quantifies the impact of optimizing end-to-end customer journeys—not just sending messages—using no-code and AI-powered tools to drive loyalty and retention at scale, leading to sustainable profitability in a volatile economic environment. Key Findings Customers exposed to high-impact no-code native app experiences such as optimized onboarding flows, dynamic surveys, or embedded personalized offers, purchase 140% more frequently than app customers who don’t receive them. These experiences, which product owners and marketers can create and adapt without developer resources, significantly increase conversion for key lifecyc
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