Boehringer Ingelheim Partners with Enleofen to Develop First-in-Class Anti-IL-11 Therapies for a Range of Fibrotic Diseases
Boehringer Ingelheim and Enleofen Bio Pte. Ltd. (Enleofen) announced today the acquisition of worldwide exclusive rights to Enleofen’s preclinical interleukin-11 (IL-11) platform by Boehringer Ingelheim to develop first-in-class therapies across a broad range of fibro-inflammatory diseases. The new partnership combines Boehringer Ingelheim’s leading expertise and comprehensive pipeline in fibrotic diseases with Enleofen’s world-leading expertise in IL-11 biology and the company’s extensive range of therapeutic antibodies targeting this pathway.
“The impressive preclinical studies at Enleofen have revealed the potential of IL-11 blockade to treat a broad range of diseases,” said Clive R. Wood, Ph.D., Corporate Senior Vice President and Global Head of Discovery Research at Boehringer Ingelheim. “We are excited to have these monoclonal antibodies in our pipeline and have the opportunity to accelerate their path to many patients whose needs are not met by current treatments.”
IL-11 is a cytokine, a protein certain cells of the body use to communicate, and plays a key role in fibro-inflammatory conditions. Blocking IL-11 action has been shown to inhibit disease across many organs (liver, lung, kidney, retina, bowel, heart and skin). In preclinical studies, antibody-based IL-11 antagonists were able to prevent and reverse inflammation and fibrosis, and restore organ function.
Enleofen is a spin out company from the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) at SingHealth and Duke-NUS Medical School under the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre (AMC), Singapore and exclusively licensed a suite of patents and number of antibody products when it was founded in 2017, from the AMC. Subsequent to this, Enleofen has built an extensive anti-IL-11 antibody platform and advanced its drug development programs towards the clinic. Boehringer Ingelheim will now develop this platform further and plans to work jointly with scientists at the AMC to accelerate the platform into clinical development. The initial focus will be on novel therapies for patients with NASH and ILDs, two of Boehringer Ingelheim’s core disease focus areas, with a potential to expand into further fibro-inflammatory conditions based on IL-11’s central role in disease.
“Enleofen is very excited to engage Boehringer Ingelheim, a leader in anti-fibrotic therapy R&D to develop further anti-IL-11 therapies to begin to address the unmet medical needs of patients worldwide,” said Prof Stuart Cook, Director and co-founder of Enleofen. “The preclinical data across a range of conditions are unprecedented and this new approach of targeting IL-11 could be a game changer”.
The acquisition of the IL-11 program from Enleofen strengthens Boehringer Ingelheim’s pipeline portfolio, which combines approaches that are effective across multiple fibrotic diseases with disease-specific approaches to achieve greater therapeutic effect and builds on the experience gained with nintedanib in fibrotic lung diseases. Boehringer Ingelheim will be solely responsible for the clinical, regulatory and commercial development of the licensed therapies. Under the terms of the agreement, Enleofen may receive earn out payments in excess of one billion USD per product in upfront and success-based development and commercialization milestones.
For references and notes to editors, please visit:
http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/press-release/fibrotic-diseases-partnership-enleofen
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/20200109005346/en/
Contact information
Boehringer Ingelheim
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
Associate Director, Media and Corporate Reputation
Boehringer Ingelheim U.S.
Media + PR
P: + 203-791-6672
linda.ruckel@boehringer-ingelheim.com
Enleofen
Charu Srivastava
charu@redhill.asia
+65 91810614
Mariyam Haider
mariyam@redhill.asia
+65 86056752
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
Allshares Acquires U.S. Market Leader Stock & Option Solutions, Solidifying Its Position as a Global Leader in Equity Ownership Management21.1.2026 13:00:00 EET | Press release
Allshares, a global provider of equity ownership management software and services, today announced the acquisition of Stock & Option Solutions (“SOS” or the “Company”), a U.S.-based specialist in end-to-end equity compensation and plan administration. Stock & Option Solutions brings a track record of supporting the full life cycle of equity and compensation plan administration. Recognized as one of the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing companies in 2022, the Company has built a strong reputation for supporting organizations across the United States, from early-stage startups to large enterprises. Its platform-agnostic service model enables clients to optimize complex incentive structures across major equity technology systems. This acquisition marks a strategic milestone in Allshares’ expansion, establishing the U.S. as Allshares’ largest and fastest-growing market. By integrating SOS’ deep U.S. expertise, Allshares strengthens its ability to deliver seamless ownership management for clients o
WEF26: ‘Human Capital Is the Key Driver of Economic Competitiveness’21.1.2026 11:33:00 EET | Press release
For economies to remain competitive in the future, they must prioritize investments in human capital, Her Royal Highness Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States of America, told the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2026. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260120585206/en/ Her Royal Highness Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States of America, speaks on human capital and youth empowerment during the opening Saudi House session at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 (Photo: AETOSWire) Speaking on a Saudi House panel, HRH commented: “Human capital today is the key driver if you want a competitive modern economy.” She added: “If you empower people and you give them the space to lead, they will take that drive and they will deliver. And when you place the right people in the right place at the r
BPP Signals Next Era of Growth, Unveiling New Global Parent Brand: Lyceum Education Group21.1.2026 11:03:00 EET | Press release
Today marks the launch of Lyceum Education Group, the new parent brand for 11 leading specialist education businesses across the UK, mainland Europe, Canada and Australia. Lyceum Education Group brings together leading specialist education providers, delivering a diverse portfolio of programmes to benefit learners and businesses globally. From its beginnings as BPP almost 50 years ago, to the creation of the Lyceum Education Group brand today, the move reflects the transition to become a leading, global education group, which will be the second largest post-secondary provider in the UK, and the fourth largest in Europe. Since its acquisition by TDR Capital in 2021, the Group has been acquiring new brands which encompass increased specialisms, diversifying its product ranges and entering new global markets. A clear focus for Lyceum Education Group will be emphasising skills development, employability and career progression, delivering impact for learners, businesses and our changing soc
Ageneau Group Chooses Generix WMS to Boost Growth21.1.2026 10:00:00 EET | Press release
Generix, a global business software company offering an expansive portfolio of SaaS solutions for supply chain, finance, commerce, and B2B integration, announces that Ageneau Group, a French transportation, logistics, and training company, has chosen Generix WMS and TradeXpress to modernize operational processes at its Angers (Trélazé) site, which has a covered area of 9,000 m² and state-of-the-art technological equipment, including automated guided vehicles (AGVs). “We needed a powerful and scalable tool that was in line with our values of cohesion, respect, and innovation. Generix was able to meet 100% of our specifications and support us with transparency and expertise,” said Arnaud Ageneau, co-director of processes, purchasing, and IT at the Ageneau Group. To support its growth and meet the changing needs of its customers, the Ageneau Group was looking for a solution capable of digitizing its operations, optimizing its flows, and providing advanced logistics to its teams. The group
International Zinc Association Partners With Pharmanova to Save Children in Zambia21.1.2026 10:00:00 EET | Press release
Zinc Saves Kids, a global child‑health initiative of the International Zinc Association (IZA), has announced a new partnership with leading Zambian pharmaceutical manufacturer Pharmanova Zambia Limited to expand access to life‑saving zinc treatments for children across Zambia. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260121178091/en/ Life-saving zinc-supplementation and oral rehydration salts kits are proactively distributed to Zambian children through the works of the International Zinc Association, Pharmanova, and the Zambian Ministries of Health and Education. The collaboration was formally celebrated during a ceremony in Lusaka with the Zambian Ministry of Health, Pharmanova Zambia Limited, and IZA represented by Environment Health & Sustainability Director Dr. Eric Van Genderen. IZA and Pharmanova have united in an effort to scale up treatment for childhood diarrhea using zinc, an essential micronutrient that stre
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