​​Boehringer Ingelheim licenses a new compound as part of its commitment to people living with fibro-inflammatory diseases​ from Kyowa Kirin 

Under the terms of the agreement, Boehringer Ingelheim will receive exclusive, worldwide rights from Kyowa Kirin to develop novel, first-in-class treatments for fibro-inflammatory diseases. Kyowa Kirin is eligible to receive up to EUR 410 million comprising of an upfront payment, success-based development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments, in addition to royalties on sales.  

Fibro-inflammatory diseases result from chronic inflammation caused by a variety of factors including persistent infections, autoimmune reactions, allergic responses and tissue injury. Examples are systemic sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, lung fibrosis and others. They are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality.  Living with fibro-inflammatory diseases greatly impact patients’ lives, both physically and emotionally and they account for more than one third of deaths worldwide. 

“There is a huge remaining unmet patient need in fibro-inflammatory diseases,” said Clive R. Wood, Ph.D., Corporate Senior Vice President and Global Head of Discovery Research at Boehringer Ingelheim. “We are very excited about partnering with Kyowa Kirin and being able to add this opportunity to our portfolio to develop new breakthrough treatments for patients with this new collaboration.” 

“We are pleased to announce that we have signed the License Agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim.” said Takeyoshi Yamashita, Ph.D., Director of the Board, Chief Medical Officer, Senior Managing Executive Officer of Kyowa Kirin. “The compound was discovered through Kyowa Kirin’s expertise in innovative technology and disease biology. Boehringer Ingelheim is highly regarded for its expertise in fibro-inflammatory diseases, and we believe that they should be the best partner to maximize and deliver the value of our compound for patients in need.” 

Boehringer Ingelheim is a global leader in the research and development of treatments for fibro-inflammatory diseases. The company has pioneered the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis with the introduction of OFEV®, approved for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases (PF/ILD) and systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD).  BI 1015550, a phosphodiesterase 4B (PDE4B) inhibitor, is currently being investigated in Phase 3 clinical studies in patients with IPF and with other progressive fibrosing ILDs. 

About Boehringer Ingelheim 

Boehringer Ingelheim is working on breakthrough therapies that transform lives, today and for generations to come. As a leading research-driven biopharmaceutical company, the company creates value through innovation in areas of high unmet medical need. Founded in 1885 and family-owned ever since, Boehringer Ingelheim takes a long-term, sustainable perspective. More than 53,000 employees serve over 130 markets in the two business units Human Pharma and Animal Health. Learn more at http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/   

About Kyowa Kirin 

Kyowa Kirin strives to create and deliver novel medicines with life-changing value. As a Japan-based Global Specialty Pharmaceutical Company with a more than 70-year heritage, we apply cutting-edge science including expertise in antibody research and engineering, to address the needs of patients and society across multiple therapeutic areas including Nephrology, Oncology, Immunology/Allergy and Neurology. Across our four regions – Japan, Asia Pacific, North America and EMEA/International – we focus on our purpose, to make people smile, and are united by our shared values of commitment to life, teamwork/Wa, innovation, and integrity. You can learn more about the business of Kyowa Kirin at: https://www.kyowakirin.com/.