New SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibody enters Clinical Phase
18.12.2020 16:00:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
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
Klarna Partners With Bolt to Grow ‘Pay in Full’ for Rides and Scooters17.6.2026 11:20:00 EEST | Press release
Klarna, the global digital bank and payments provider, has partnered with Bolt, the European shared mobility platform, to bring Klarna's payment options directly into the Bolt app. Across Sweden, Germany, Finland and Norway, users can now pay for car rides and scooters with Klarna, with car rentals also available in Germany. The integration is built on tokenised payments, allowing users to pay through their stored credentials without re-entering details for each trip. In all four markets, customers can choose to pay in full or pay monthly with Klarna. The rollout is already underway, with full availability across all four markets expected by the end of June 2026. The partnership brings together two of Europe's largest consumer platforms: Bolt serves more than 200 million customers across over 50 countries, while Klarna has over 119 million active users worldwide. For Klarna, it deepens a growing presence in everyday, high-frequency spending, placing the company at the point of payment
Ohmium and Hynfra Sign Master Cooperation Agreement to Advance Large-Scale Green Hydrogen Projects in the Middle East and Africa17.6.2026 11:17:00 EEST | Press release
Ohmium International Inc., a leading manufacturer of high-efficiency, modular Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzers, and Hynfra P.S.A., a prominent green hydrogen and green ammonia project developer, today announced the signing of a master cooperation agreement to advance green hydrogen projects in Mauritania, Jordan, and Oman. The cooperation agreement covers the projects’ Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) stage and establishes the framework for ongoing collaboration. Ohmium also will provide technical support and PEM electrolyzer expertise throughout the FEED and development stages for the three hydrogen projects mentioned. These projects are designed to produce green hydrogen for green ammonia applications, advancing energy security and long-term resilience in host countries by building domestically sourced clean energy capacity and reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels, while also supplying RFNBO-compliant green ammonia for export, including to European markets.
ID UNLIMITED Strengthens European Platform With Acquisition of Denmark’s Jet Sport17.6.2026 11:00:00 EEST | Press release
ID UNLIMITED, a European leader in premium equipment personalisation and embellishment services for sports clubs, leagues and global sports brands, has signed an agreement to acquire Jetsport A/S (“Jet Sport”), a provider of personalisation and customisation services headquartered in Viborg, Denmark, specialised in sportswear and workwear. Jet Sport marks the first acquisition under ID UNLIMITED's international expansion strategy since partnering with TowerBrook Capital Partners in April this year. The transaction is expected to close by the end of June 2026, subject to customary conditions. Founded in 1971, Jet Sport is a family-owned business with over five decades of experience in textile embellishment. The company serves sports clubs, sporting goods retailers, workwear suppliers and industrial clients, providing high-quality screen prints, heat transfers and embroideries with approximately 140 employees. Jet Sport has built a reputation for quality, fast turnaround and technical in
Reply Achieves the AWS Business Value Realization Competency17.6.2026 11:00:00 EEST | Press release
Reply [EXM, STAR: REY] announced today that it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Business Value Realization Competency. This specialization recognizes Reply as an AWS Partner that helps customers deliver measurable, post-sales business outcomes from their AWS investments. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260617874809/en/ Reply achieves the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Business Value Realization Competency that recognizes an AWS Partner that helps customers deliver measurable, post-sales business outcomes from their AWS investments. Achieving the AWS Business Value Realization Competency differentiates Reply as an AWS Partner that excels at helping customers define, measure, and achieve business outcomes from their cloud and AI investments. It signals to customers that a Partner has the commitment, trained and certified teams, and a proven track record of delivering measurable outcomes, not just technical
LTM Launches BlueVerse™ on Databricks to Accelerate AI Monetization17.6.2026 10:46:00 EEST | Press release
LTM, the Business Creativity partner to the world’s largest enterprises, today announced the launch of BlueVerse for Databricks, a new offering that brings together LTM’s AI ecosystem, BlueVerse™, with Databricks, the Data and AI company, to accelerate AI-driven data monetization. BlueVerse for Databricks is designed to help enterprises drive tangible business outcomes from data and AI investments by addressing critical challenges in the secure and efficient management of data and compute resources, while optimizing business processes and providing pre-built industry solutions to unlock greater value from AI initiatives. LTM BlueVerse helps companies reimagine core business processes such as procure-to-pay, order-to-cash, hire-to-retire, and marketing operations as AI-optimized workflows. It also enables organizations to accelerate time-to-value through pre-built, industry-specific solutions for Manufacturing, Banking, Financial Services, Insurance, Media & Entertainment, and Retail &
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