New SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibody enters Clinical Phase
Cologne University Hospital (UKK), University of Marburg (UMR), the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) and Boehringer Ingelheim today announced the initiation of Phase 1/2a clinical investigation of BI 767551, a new SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody. By combining UKK, UMR and DZIF’s expertise in virology, immunology and clinical investigation with Boehringer Ingelheim’s expertise in developing and manufacturing therapeutic antibodies, the partners developed BI 767551 as a potential new therapeutic and preventive/prophylactic option for fighting COVID-19.
Virus neutralizing antibodies are expected to become an important line of defense against SARS-CoV-2, complementing vaccines and nonpharmaceutical interventions. They are being investigated as a therapy option for individuals with mild or severe infections, but also as prevention or prophylaxis in non-infected people with a high risk of infection or at risk of serious outcomes. Directly delivering BI 767551 to the lung by inhalation has the potential to provide fast acting protection from virus infection in the respiratory tract.
The new antibody BI 767551 was derived from blood samples of recovered COVID-19 patients at UKK, examined for SARS-CoV-2 neutralization at UMR and developed further in collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim. The clinical study will be led by Prof. Florian Klein and Prof. Gerd Fätkenheuer at UKK and Boehringer Ingelheim will supply the antibody. “With BI 767551, we aim to provide an effective option for preventing and treating COVID-19,” explains Prof. Florian Klein, Director of the Institute for Virology at the Cologne University Hospital and Principal Investigator at the DZIF.
”Monoclonal antibodies are a promising component in the fight against new viruses, such as the SARS-CoV-2. If this antibody turns out to be effective against COVID-19, this finding could be helpful in the current and also in future epidemics and pandemics. I am glad that we are able to assist in the development of this compound," says Prof. Stephan Becker, Director of the Institute of Virology at University of Marburg and Coordinator Emerging Infections, DZIF.
“We are excited to contribute to the development of BI 767551 in collaboration with our partners, with the aim to provide an innovative SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody, combining a systemic with an inhaled route of administration” said Michel Pairet, member of Boehringer Ingelheim’s Board of Managing Directors with responsibility for the company’s Innovation Unit.
The Phase 1/2a studies (NCT04631705, NCT04631666) will evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics and antiviral activity of the antibody. In Phase 1, the antibody will be administered to participants either with a single infusion or a single inhalation. If the antibody is well tolerated, late-stage confirmatory studies will be conducted.
Please click on the following link for ‘Notes to Editors’:
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/20201218005318/en/
Contact information
Media Contacts
Boehringer Ingelheim
Dr. Reinhard Malin
Head of Communications Innovation Unit
Boehringer Ingelheim Corporate Center GmbH
Media + PR
P: +49 6132 77-90815
press@boehringer-ingelheim.com
Linda Ruckel
Senior Associate Director, Media and Corporate Reputation
Boehringer Ingelheim U.S.
Media + PR
P: +1 203-791-6672
press@boehringer-ingelheim.com
Cologne University Hospital (UKK)
Christoph Wanko
Stellvertretender Pressesprecher
Stabsabteilung Unternehmenskommunikation
und Marketing
Tel.: +49 (221) 478 88757
christoph.wanko@uk-koeln.de
University of Marburg (UMR)
Dr. Gabriele Neumann
Leiterin der Stabsstelle Hochschulkommunikation
Pressesprecherin
Tel.: +49 6421 28-26118
Mail: gabriele.neumann@uni-marburg.de
German Center for Infection Research (DZIF)
Karola Neubert und Janna Schmidt
Pressestelle
Tel. : +49 6181 1170/1154
presse@dzif.de
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
Ant International Wins Champion of NeurIPS Competition of Fairness in AI Face Detection8.12.2025 05:37:00 EET | Press release
Ant International, a leading global digital payment, digitisation, and financial technology provider, has won first place at the NeurIPS Competition of Fairness in AI Face Detection. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251207210856/en/ Ant International’s solution takes top spot at the NeurIPS Competition of Fairness in AI Face Detection, emerging first among over 2,100 submissions from 162 teams globally. AI Fairness enhances Financial Security Studies by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) show that many commercial facial recognition algorithms have significantly higher error rates for women and people of colour largely due to underrepresentation in datasets AI algorithms are trained on. Biased algorithms lead to unfair denials of service and create security vulnerabilities. The competition at the Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems, among the world’s most prestigious AI con
Sonrotoclax Data at ASH 2025 Confirm Foundational Potential Across B-cell Malignancies8.12.2025 01:00:00 EET | Press release
BeOne Medicines Ltd. (Nasdaq: ONC; HKEX: 06160; SSE: 688235), a global oncology company, today announced new data on sonrotoclax, a next-generation investigational BCL2 inhibitor, demonstrating meaningful clinical benefit as monotherapy and in combination across B-cell malignancies. These data were featured at the 67th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition in Orlando, Florida. The five presentations highlight durable responses in heavily pretreated patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and additional studies showing deep, rapid, and sustained undetectable minimal residual disease (uMRD) rates with sonrotoclax-based combinations in patients with treatment-naive chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), highlighting the foundational potential of this medicine. “The data we’re presenting at ASH 2025 are redefining what physicians can expect from sonrotoclax as a next-generation BCL2 inhibitor,” said Amit Agarwal, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical
Hemato-Oncology Trials: AOP Health Presents New Results at Top Congress ASH7.12.2025 18:00:00 EET | Press release
AOP Health continues to advance its clinical research program in myeloproliferative neoplasms, a special group of rare blood cancers. The company, specialized in rare diseases, presented the results of two scientific investigations at the 67th American Society of Hematology Association (ASH) Annual Meeting 2025 held in Orlando, FL, USA. The results provide new insights in treatment strategies. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251207587915/en/ Dr. Martin Steinhart, CEO AOP Health; Photo credit: AOP Health/Studio Koekart ROP-ET and BESREMI PASS One of the clinical studies, ROP-ET, examined the use of ropeginterferon alfa-2b in people with essential thrombocythemia (ET), a disease in which the body produces too many platelets. The trial, a prospective, multicenter, single-arm phase III study, investigated the safety and efficacy of ropeginterferon alfa-2b in ET patients unable to receive available cytoreductive th
CoMotion GLOBAL 2025 Launches in Riyadh: Global Mobility Leaders Unite in Saudi Capital to Chart Urban Future7.12.2025 14:00:00 EET | Press release
Riyadh is rapidly becoming one of the world's most ambitious urban mobility laboratories, where next-generation technologies move from blueprint to real-world deployment on city streets at unprecedented scale. CoMotion GLOBAL 2025, the world's most influential gathering of urban mobility leaders, opens today in Riyadh for a three-day summit bringing together innovators from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East. Running December 7-9, the event will explore how electrification, autonomy, AI-enabled transport, and giga-project urbanism are reshaping cities worldwide. The summit will spotlight everything from high-performance EVs and breakthrough autonomous fleets to emerging-market transport solutions and new mobility models, demonstrating how the Kingdom is opening new pathways for global mobility leadership. Strategic Partnerships Powering the Summit CoMotion GLOBAL 2025 is hosted by the Saudi Conventions & Exhibitions General Authority (SCEGA), supported by key Saudi
Deciphera Announces Oral Presentation of Positive Topline Results from Phase 2a Study of Sapablursen in Polycythemia Vera at the 67 th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting6.12.2025 16:30:00 EET | Press release
Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, a member of Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Osaka, Japan; President and COO: Toichi Takino; “Ono”), today announced the oral presentation of positive results from the Phase 2a IMPRSSION study of sapablursen in patients with polycythemia vera (PV) at the 67th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, taking place December 6-9, 2025, in Orlando, FL. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251206361611/en/ The results were presented by Ionis Pharmaceuticals, who discovered and developed sapablursen and conducted the IMPRSSION study. In March 2025, Ionis and Ono entered into a license agreement in which Ono obtained exclusive global rights for the development and commercialization of sapablursen. “In the treatment of PV, phlebotomy and cytoreductive therapy are performed as treatments for preventing thrombosis. Phlebotomy is the most common treatment for PV, in which blood
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