Boehringer Ingelheim and Global Stem Cell Technology are prepared to bring groundbreaking innovation to equine market

Ingelheim, Germany, 11 December 2018 – The Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Business Unit and Global Stem Cell Technology (GST) entered into a partnership to enable European veterinarians and horse owners to benefit from groundbreaking innovation. Following marketing authorisation, Boehringer Ingelheim will exclusively distribute Arti-Cell Forte in the EU. Arti-Cell Forte has been developed by GST and is the first-ever stem cell product in the veterinary world¹ which was recommended marketing authorisation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA)¹ earlier this year. 

Arti-Cell Forte is a product candidate of the so-called novel therapies. It is based on horse-blood-derived stem cells, which are specially primed. The intended indication is the reduction of mild to moderate recurrent lameness associated with non-septic joint inflammation in horses. For convenience, the product shall be offered in a ready-to-use presentation, available to the veterinarian whenever it is needed.

Lameness is a common disease in horses and impacts their performance as well as welfare. Current treatment is not satisfactory for all cases and there is a clear need for innovation and new treatment options. Hence, the significant interest in treatment beyond symptoms, namely combatting the underlying root cause.

Following injection into the affected joint, Arti-Cell Forte is ready to act via its living cells, addressing biomolecular events of cartilage and reducing the inflammatory process of lameness. Based on a field study, the positive effect of treatment with Arti-Cell Forte even sustained for more than a year¹.

“Priming the cells towards cartilage aids them to deliver the right activities in the affected joint,” shares Jan Spaas PhD, Veterinarian and CEO of GST. “We are absolutely delighted with this partnership as well as EMA´s positive opinion - the potential for the treatment is vast, since a quarter of the entire equine population develops osteoarthritis at some point in their life.”  

“Boehringer Ingelheim is dedicated to providing new and innovative products, whether through our own R&D activities or by working in partnership with true experts in the field,” says Dr. Erich Schoett, Head of Strategic Business Unit Equine at Boehringer Ingelheim. “GST impressed us with a wealth of expertise in the area of regenerative medicine and we do see an immense synergy in the close collaboration we are having. It is a real privilege to launch an industry first of this magnitude and we are working together closely to bringing this product to market.”

¹Press release issued by the European Medicines Agency on 22 June 2018: www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/first-stem-cell-based-veterinary-medicine-recommended-marketing-authorisation.

Boehringer Ingelheim
Improving the health and quality of life of patients is the goal of the research-driven pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. The focus in doing so is on diseases for which no satisfactory treatment option exists to date. The company therefore concentrates on developing innovative therapies that can extend patients’ lives. In animal health, Boehringer Ingelheim stands for advanced prevention.

Family-owned since it was established in 1885, Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the pharmaceutical industry’s top 20 companies. Some 50,000 employees create value through innovation daily for the three business areas human pharmaceuticals, animal health and biopharmaceuticals. In 2017, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of nearly 18.1 billion euros. R&D expenditure, exceeding three billion euros, corresponded to 17.0 per cent of net sales.

As a family-owned company, Boehringer Ingelheim plans in generations and focuses on long-term success, rather than short-term profit. The company therefore aims at organic growth from its own resources with simultaneous openness to partnerships and strategic alliances in research. In everything it does, Boehringer Ingelheim naturally adopts responsibility towards mankind and the environment.

More information about Boehringer Ingelheim can be found on www.boehringer-ingelheim.com or in our Annual Report. 

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Business Unit
Boehringer Ingelheim is the second largest animal health business in the world. We are committed to creating animal wellbeing through our large portfolio of advanced, preventive healthcare products and services. With net sales of 3.9 billion euros (2017) and around 10,000 employees worldwide, we are present in more than 150 markets. For more information click here.

Global Stem cell Technology NV
GST is a privately owned company supported by Anacura and PMV. The main activities of GST are research and development and production of veterinary stem cell based products and their biotechnological applications. As a basis for stem cell therapies, GST uses highly potent stem cells from blood of mammals. GST thus translates regenerative medicine into clinical applications. The company was founded by veterinary stem cell researcher Jan H. Spaas (CEO) who is inventor of six patents and leading author on more than 25 scientifically peer-reviewed publications in this field. GST is globally ranked within the top 10 start-ups in animal health². For more information, visit www.gst.be.

²https://pages.agribusinessintelligence.informa.com/animal-pharm-disruptors-innovators-2018

Intended audiences
This press release is issued from our Corporate Headquarters in Ingelheim, Germany, and is intended to provide information about our global business. Please be aware that information relating to the approval status and labels of approved products may vary from country to country, and a country-specific press release on this topic may have been issued in the countries where we do business.