"We are excited to partner with Boehringer Ingelheim, a leader in oncology research and development to develop next generation cancer immunotherapies targeting intracellular oncogenes," said Dr. Cheng Liu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Eureka Therapeutics. "Intracellular oncogenes represent 90% of cancer-specific antigens, many of which were considered "undruggable targets" until recently. This collaboration builds upon Eureka's success in discovery and development of fully human antibodies against intracellular oncogenes. We look forward to working with Boehringer Ingelheim to advance the immuno-oncology frontier and address some of the most challenging unmet medical needs."
"This collaboration underlines our long-term commitment to oncology and our interest in exploring new target spaces with antibodies that recognize intracellular proteins. It will open up entirely new opportunities for the development of tumor cell- as well as immune cell-targeted therapies. We are looking forward to working closely with Eureka's scientists to develop novel, effective therapies targeting cancers that have proved particularly difficult to treat in the past," said Dr. Michel Pairet, Senior Corporate Vice President of Research and Non-clinical Development at Boehringer Ingelheim.
About Eureka Therapeutics, Inc.
Eureka Therapeutics Inc. is a privately held biotechnology company, headquartered in the San Francisco Bay area, focused on developing first-in-class T cell immunotherapies for hematological malignancies and solid tumors. Its core technology platforms center around the discovery and engineering of fully human antibodies against intracellular targets via the MHCI complex. The company is developing a pipeline of novel cancer therapeutics targeting intracellular oncogenes.
About Boehringer Ingelheim
The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world's 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, Boehringer Ingelheim operates globally with 146 affiliates and a total of more than 47,700 employees. The focus of the family-owned company, founded in 1885, is researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing new medications of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.
Social responsibility is an important element of the corporate culture at Boehringer Ingelheim. This includes worldwide involvement in social projects, such as the initiative "Making more Health" and caring for the employees. Respect, equal opportunities and reconciling career and family form the foundation of the mutual cooperation. In everything it does, the company focuses on environmental protection and sustainability.
In 2014, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of about 13.3 billion euros. R&D expenditure corresponds to 19.9 per cent of its net sales.