BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM ENTERS GLOBAL LICENSING AGREEMENT TO DEVELOP AND COMMERCIALIZE INNOVATIVE ANTIBODIES FROM A*STAR FOR TARGETED CANCER THERAPIES
2.6.2022 16:10:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Boehringer Ingelheim and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) today announced a global licensing agreement under which Boehringer Ingelheim will obtain exclusive worldwide rights to research, develop and commercialize products based on a panel of innovative, tumor-specific antibodies from A*STAR. Boehringer Ingelheim aims to use these antibodies to direct therapeutic effector mechanisms such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and T-cell engagers exclusively to tumor cells, and to that end develop a range of highly targeted cancer treatments.
“Boehringer Ingelheim believes that these promising antibodies in-licensed from A*STAR will help us advance potent therapeutic candidates against key molecular cancer targets,” says Clive R. Wood, Senior Corporate Vice President and Global Head of Discovery Research at Boehringer Ingelheim and continues: “We look forward to developing these assets for a broad range of cancers with the goal to deliver breakthrough opportunities for patients.”
Boehringer Ingelheim is pioneering a range of versatile therapeutic platforms in order to develop innovative medicines that target the tumor directly (tumor cell-directed therapies) or that enable the immune system to target the tumor (immune cell-targeted therapies). One tumor cell-directed modality is antibody drug conjugates, which allows for delivery of toxins directly into tumor cells. Another is T-cell engagers facilitating direct contact between T-cells and tumor cells, leading to T-cell-mediated killing of the tumor. Both technologies are directed towards markers on the surface of cancer cells, also known as antigens, in order to attack tumor cells but spare healthy tissues.
The innovative antibodies from A*STAR can potentially enable the development of safer, more efficacious therapies as they selectively bind to antigens that are highly expressed on tumor cells but are absent on normal healthy tissues.
Under the terms of the agreement, Boehringer Ingelheim will be responsible for further research, preclinical and clinical development as well as commercialization of targeted cancer therapies using the antibodies from A*STAR. A*STAR may receive payments totalling >100 million EUR in upfront and success-based development and commercialization milestones.
The technology used to identify the unique A*STAR antibodies resulted from a multi-institutional collaboration in Singapore. A*STAR’s Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) and Institute of Bioengineering & Bioimaging (IBB) generated antibodies which exclusively target antigens that were initially identified from gastric cancer cells. Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC), Singapore’s national platform for drug discovery and development hosted by A*STAR, then optimized the antibodies and confirmed their applicability to a range of other solid cancers. EDDC also demonstrated the utility of these antibodies in directing different therapeutic modalities selectively to cancer cells.
Professor Damian O'Connell, Chief Executive Officer of EDDC, says, “As Singapore's national drug discovery and development platform, EDDC is proud to translate great science in Singapore into valuable assets that can enable the precise treatment of cancer. We believe that Boehringer Ingelheim, with its broad expertise and technologies, is the right partner to maximize the potential of these antibodies for the development of safer, more targeted therapies for cancer patients.”
Professor Tan Sze Wee, Assistant Chief Executive (Enterprise) of A*STAR, says, “These antibodies were developed in Singapore through close collaboration across multiple institutions. There was also strong support by the Singapore Gastric Cancer Consortium. The agreement is testament to the best-in-class research taking place in Singapore. Cancer is a devastating disease, and we hope the fruits of our research can improve patient outcomes.”
Please click on the link for “Note to Editors’ and ‘References’:
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/20220602005475/en/
Contact information
For media queries and clarifications:
Dr. Reinhard Malin
Innovation Unit Communications
Corporate Affairs
Boehringer Ingelheim
Tel: +49 6132 77-90815
Email: reinhard.malin@boehringeringelheim.com
Owen Sia
Assistant Head, Corporate Communications
Agency for Science, Technology and Research
Tel: +65 6517 7866
Email: owen_sia@hq.a-star.edu.sg
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
Azafaros Completes Enrollment of Phase 3 (NAVIGATE) Study Evaluating Nizubaglustat for the Treatment of Patients with GM1/GM2 Gangliosidoses23.7.2026 14:00:00 EEST | Press release
Azafaros, a private company building a portfolio of disease-modifying therapeuticsto become a leader in lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) focused on addressing neurological symptoms, today announced the completion of patient recruitment in its Phase 3 study evaluating nizubaglustat for the treatment of GM1/GM2 gangliosidoses. “Completing enrollment in our Phase 3 GM1/GM2 study is a significant step toward potentially bringing nizubaglustat to patients and families living with these devastating neurodegenerative diseases," said Stefano Portolano, Chief Executive Officer at Azafaros. "We are deeply grateful to the patients, caregivers, investigators and advocacy groups who have made this milestone possible. As we advance the GM1/GM2 study toward data readout and regulatory submission, we continue to enroll in our Phase 3 NPC study and remain focused on our goal of addressing the significant unmet medical needs faced by these rare disease communities." Professor Roberto Giugliani, Princi
Francisco Partners Closes $21 Billion Across Flagship and Agility Funds23.7.2026 14:00:00 EEST | Press release
Francisco Partners (“FP”), a leading global investment firm that specializes in partnering with technology companies, today announced the closing of $21 billion in capital commitments across its Francisco Partners VIII, L.P. flagship fund and Francisco Partners Agility IV, L.P., its middle-market fund. FP exceeded its initial targets of $14.0 billion and $3.5 billion, respectively. This milestone builds on Francisco Partners' longstanding track record of performance, underscored by its distinction as the only firm to rank among the top three performers in each of the past six HEC-Dow Jones Large Buyout Performance Rankings.* “In our business, long-term success is created through a series of relationships built on years of trust and collaboration," said Dipanjan (“DJ”) Deb, Co-Founder and CEO of Francisco Partners. "We want to thank our investors for their support, our management teams for their dedication and performance, our friends and partners throughout the technology ecosystem, ou
Taiwanese ensembles showcase erhu and ocarina at Prague Folklore Days23.7.2026 11:21:00 EEST | Press release
The Prague Folklore Days 2026 was held on July 17 and 18 in the heart of Prague, bringing together 56 international arts groups from Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Spain, the Netherlands, and Poland. Four Taiwanese groups took part: Hildebrand Yu’s ocarina band, the Shi-xian Huqin Orchestra, the Taipei Folk Orchestra, and the Four Strings Ensemble. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260722841530/en/ Taiwanese ensembles showcase erhu and ocarina at Prague Folklore Days Led by Huang Chun-sin, the official Taiwan representative band featured a diverse lineup of ocarina, erhu, and dance performers. Their program stood out among the European groups with its distinctive character and vivid stage presence. Hildebrand Yu’s ocarina band captivated audiences with warm, uplifting melodies accompanied by the ocarina and ukulele. Yu also performed “Twilight Waltz,” delivering a heartfelt piece of poetic expression, like sunlight
Taiwan Children’s Choirs Garner Major Awards at Hungarian Choral Competition23.7.2026 10:33:00 EEST | Press release
Competing against 36 leading contenders from 20 countries, four Taiwanese children’s choirs have garnered several major awards and top honors at the 5th Budapest International Choral Celebration, showcasing Taiwan’s cultural diversity and music excellence. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260722613876/en/ Puzangalan Children’s Choir and Yo Wu Wei Children’s Chorus join forces with international choral ensembles and orchestras to perform Mozart’s Requiem Mass in D minor, K. 626 at the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall of Müpa Budapest. With its pure, angelic voices and exceptional vocal techniques, Puzangalan Children’s Choir from Pingtung County won the top prize, Laurea Summa Cum Laude, in the Grand Prix Competition’s Youth Choir of Equal Voices, Folklore, and Sacred Music categories. In the Open Competition, Yo Wu Wei Children’s Chorus claimed three gold prizes in the categories of Youth Choir of Equal Voices
Evotec Selects Navan to Unify Global Travel, Payments, and Expense Management23.7.2026 10:00:00 EEST | Press release
Navan (NASDAQ: NAVN), the global AI-powered business travel and expense platform, today announced that Evotec (NASDAQ: EVO; Frankfurt Prime Standard: EVT), the global drug discovery and development company, has selected Navan to manage its complete corporate Travel and Expense (T&E) program in its top global markets. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260722261092/en/ Global drug discovery leader partners with Navan to drive operational excellence and eliminate manual expense reporting A life science company that is pioneering the future of drug discovery and development, Evotec had historically managed T&E independently across different countries, meaning employees were dealing with a patchwork of different tools and manual offline processes. As part of its focus on operational excellence, Evotec is further streamlining these processes through one unified, easy-to-use platform that supports consistency, transpar
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