Boehringer Ingelheim is pumping funds into the still-hot antibody-drug conjugate space, committing 27 million Swiss francs ($31.06 million) to a new R&D facility specifically focused on the modality.
The site in the European biotech hub of Basel, Switzerland, is run by Boehringer’s subsidiary NBE Therapeutics. Boehringer bought the Swiss biotech for $1.5 billion in 2020 in a deal centered around NBE’s ROR1-directed ADC.
Since then, Boehringer has continued to seek out suitable partners in the ADC arena, kicking off this year with a $1.3 billion biobucks licensing deal with Lonza’s ADC specialist Synaffix.
The German pharma name-checked the Synaffix deal in this morning’s release, citing it as another “significant step toward Boehringer Ingelheim’s goal of transforming cancer care” alongside the NBE facility and opening the Angelika Amon cancer research building in Vienna last September.
Boehringer said the NBE site will “contribute to building a broad pipeline of ADCs, addressing novel tumor target space to develop next-generation cancer treatments.”
“This investment in a new, cutting-edge research center underscores our strong commitment to deliver breakthrough innovation to people living with cancer,” NBE’s CEO Jean Engela said in the April 3 release.
“We are confident that this state-of-the-art building will enable our team of scientists to accelerate the development of next-generation ADCs, ultimately impacting the lives of patients battling cancer,” Engela added.
The facility represents an “additional commitment” of 27 million Swiss francs specifically in ADC R&D “over several years,” Boehringer said. The site will encompass 1,826 square meters of laboratory and office space and house around 50 scientists, alongside other staff.
“Switzerland offers an unparalleled biotech ecosystem,” Karl Penz, chief financial officer of Boehringer’s Innovation Unit and chair of NBE’s board of directors, said in the same release. “By strengthening our presence here, we are reinforcing our commitment to advancing innovative cancer treatments.”