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
Carbon Measures and International Chamber of Commerce Launch Technical Expert Panel on Carbon Accounting27.10.2025 18:11:00 EET | Press release
Carbon Measures and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) today announced the formation of an independent expert panel that will work to develop the guidelines and implementation steps to establish a global carbon emissions accounting system based on financial accounting principles. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251027348594/en/ The Technical Expert Panel on Carbon Accounting will be comprised of experts from academia, financial accounting, industry and civil society, representing multiple perspectives and geographies. Together, they will define the principles, scope, and applications of a carbon emissions accounting system modeled on financial accounting principles. Such a system would provide accurate, transparent, verifiable, and timely company- and product-level data, ensuring every tonne of carbon emissions is counted only once and attributed correctly at each step of the value chain. The panel wi
IAMPHENOM Europe Expands All-Star Speaker Lineup27.10.2025 15:30:00 EET | Press release
Phenom, an applied AI company that helps organisations hire faster, develop better and retain longer, announced a second wave of confirmed speakers joining its inaugural IAMPHENOM Europe conference — the only applied AI event for human resources. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251027606156/en/ Phenom announced a second wave of confirmed speakers joining its inaugural IAMPHENOM Europe conference — the only applied AI event for human resources. Featuring visionary keynotes, customer-led breakout sessions, live demonstrations of use-case specific AI agents, and networking opportunities across HR and IT, the in-person event will take place 6 November in Munich. Session topics will include how to: assess AI and automation maturity levels; deploy 25+ AI agents; uphold compliance while navigating European regulations; develop and retain internal talent while attracting external skills; drive unprecedented recruiter
ThetaRay and Kaufman Rossin Announce AI AML Model Validation at Money20/20 USA27.10.2025 15:00:00 EET | Press release
ThetaRay, a global leader in Cognitive AI financial crime compliance, today announced that Kaufman Rossinhas completed an independent validation of its AML Transaction Monitoring and OFAC Screening Modules. Finalized in August 2025, the review confirms that ThetaRay’s AI models demonstrate the governance, transparency, and robustness regulators increasingly expect from AI-driven compliance systems. The announcement will be featured at Money20/20 USA, where the future of finance and compliance technology takes center stage. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251027724792/en/ A timely milestone in a shifting regulatory landscape In the United States, regulators are sharpening their focus on model risk management. FinCEN’s proposed modernization of the Bank Secrecy Act emphasizes dynamic, risk-based compliance programs and heightened oversight of third-party models. In the European Union, the newly enacted AI Act se
Klarna Launches Memberships: Premium Perks Without Expensive Credit27.10.2025 15:00:00 EET | Press release
Klarna, the global digital bank and payments provider, today unveiled its new global membership program, introducing Premium and Max. The program delivers premium benefits like cashback, travel perks, and lifestyle rewards in a transparent, monthly plan, without the need to take on expensive credit. The launch marks a major step in Klarna’s evolution into a full-scale digital bank helping consumers manage their money with greater value and control. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251027643962/en/ “We believe consumers shouldn’t have to take on expensive credit to access premium benefits,” said David Sandström, Chief Marketing Officer at Klarna. “For decades, exclusive perks such as airport lounge access, concierge-style subscriptions, and premium travel insurance were only available to elite credit card holders. Klarna is changing that. Through Klarna memberships, consumers can enjoy travel, lifestyle, and dig
inDrive Calls for Justice in Tech Leadership; Launches Global Campaign to Recruit Directors for Child Protection, Education, and Good Governance27.10.2025 15:00:00 EET | Press release
inDrive, the world’s second most downloaded ride-hailing app, has set a bold goal: to positively impact 1 billion people by 2030. To achieve it, the company is strengthening its impact arm and launching “Positions of Purpose,” a global campaign to recruit senior leaders in child protection, education, and governance. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251027308855/en/ inDrive, a global mobility and urban services platform, extends mission-driven approach from business model to hiring practices. inDrive first challenged the ride-hailing model by allowing riders and drivers to negotiate fares directly, building a business on fairness instead of opaque pricing. Now, the company is challenging what impact hiring should look like — putting social justice roles at the same level of priority and visibility as growth, product, and operations. The campaign introduces three unprecedented roles: Global Director, Family-Base
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