Boehringer Ingelheim and MacroGenics collaborate on drug development

Boehringer Ingelheim is to work with biotechnology firm MacroGenics on the development of new therapeutic products based on a novel antibody platform.

The two companies have agreed to collaborate on the discovery and commercialisation of drug candidates derived using MacroGenics' Dual-Affinity Re-Targeting (Dart) platform.

Dart technology allows for the generation of highly stable antibody-based therapeutic molecules that can target two different antigens at the same time, as well as offering versatility and beneficial manufacturing properties.

Up to ten combinations of molecular targets are to be developed under the collaboration in therapeutic areas such as immunology, oncology and infectious disease.

Professor Wolfgang Rettig, senior vice-president for corporate research at Boehringer Ingelheim, said the alliance "has the potential to generate breakthrough medicines that will help patients with a range of diseases which cannot be adequately treated at present".

Earlier this month, Boehringer Ingelheim published data from a new clinical trial of its versatile oncology therapy afatinib, showing its efficacy against non-small cell lung cancer.