An long-standing immunotherapy drug development collaboration between Oxford BioTherapeutics and Boehringer Ingelheim has recently delivered a third candidate.
OB33, the candidate in question, was identified using OBT's OGAP-Verify discovery platform, and will now be progressed by Boehringer Ingelheim into IND-enabling studies.
The pharmaceutical giant will then also take responsibility for the further development and potential commercialisation of the oncology therapeutic candidate.
In return for this candidate, OBT will also receive a milestone payment from Boehringer.
Immuno-oncological therapies have transformed the cancer treatment landscape, though they are only effective in a subset of patients — meaning consistent identification of novel immunotherapy targets is required.
The collaboration with Oxford BioTherapeutics complements Boehringer Ingelheim’s development of next-generation potentially life-changing cancer immunotherapies with the identification of unique and specific cancer targets.
“We are pleased to see our partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim reach an important preclinical milestone," stated OBT's CEO, Dr Christian Rohlff.
"It reflects the strength of our collaboration and the scientific excellence of our OGAP discovery platform. This achievement reinforces our strategy of partnering with world-class organszations to translate breakthrough science into potential new cancer therapies."
Under the multi-year collaboration, OBT has identified targets using the OGAP-Verify platform, while Boehringer is responsible for the development and commercialization of resulting product candidates.
The OBT–Boehringer partnership began in 2013 and has expanded through subsequent agreements in 2020 and 2022 to include additional programmes.
The collaboration has yielded multiple development-stage assets, with two candidates currently in clinical trials, one compound now in IND enabling studies, and a fourth target recently optioned by Boehringer Ingelheim.
