Boehringer Ingelheim and Re-Vana Therapeutics, a US and UK based developer of ocular therapeutics and ocular drug delivery technologies, have announced a strategic collaboration and license agreement that aims to develop first-in-class extended-release therapies for eye diseases.
Globally, millions of people living with eye health conditions face a progressive decline in their independence and connection to the world due to vision loss. With its diverse pipeline in eye health, which includes four assets in phase II, Boehringer Ingelheim said it is committed to preserving the retina, protecting people’s way of life and preventing vision loss.
Treating ophthalmic diseases often requires frequent injections directly into the eye, which can be very burdensome for patients. Re-Vana’s drug delivery technology is designed to release treatments slowly over six to 12 months, aiming to drastically reduce how often patients need injections. Lowering the treatment burden could lead to higher treatment compliance, and potentially result in better therapeutic outcomes.
Boehringer Ingelheim will explore combining this technology with its unique pipeline in eye health.
“We’re looking forward to team up with Re-Vana to push the boundaries of what’s possible in eye health,” said Nedim Pipic, global head of mental Health, eye health and emerging areas at Boehringer Ingelheim.
“Together, we want to tackle the limits of today’s treatments – aiming to help people keep their sight, with fewer injections. This partnership is a bold step forward in our mission to protect vision and ease the burden on patients.”
“The strategic collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim marks a transformational moment for Re-Vana,” said Michael O’Rourke, Re-Vana CEO.
“By combining our extended-release platform with Boehringer Ingelheim’s world-class research and development capabilities and eye health pipeline, we strive to bring forward a new generation of long-acting treatments for eye diseases that offer clinical and quality-of-life benefits for patients.”
Under the collaboration, Boehringer Ingelheim aims to add up to three projects per year across therapeutic modalities. The companies will jointly oversee Re-Vana’s feasibility and development activities for the extended-release programs, with Boehringer Ingelheim assuming sole responsibility for clinical development, regulatory approval, and global commercialization of the products. The terms of the agreement grant Boehringer Ingelheim target exclusivity, and provide for upfront, development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments to Re-Vana, with total potential deal value exceeding $1bn for the initial three targets, in addition to royalty payments on net sales.
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn said: “This deal represents a huge vote of confidence in Northern Ireland’s innovation and skills, and is good news for the health sector as well as demonstrating the keen interest there is in investing in Northern Ireland’s economy. I look forward to seeing more deals like this one in the future as investors seize the advantages of doing business in Northern Ireland.”
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