Boehringer Ingelheim in second antibody deal, this one with f-star worth potential 180-million euros

German independent drug major Boehringer Ingelheim has signed a collaboration with Austrian company f-star Biotechnologische Forschungs-und Entwicklungsges.m.b.H for the joint discovery of new antibody-derived therapeutic products based on f-star’s Modular Antibody Technology.

Under the terms of the accord, Boehringer Ingelheim will nominate up to seven targets, which may span multiple therapeutic areas, against which the parties will collaborate to jointly discover Fcabs for further global development and commercialization by Boehringer Ingelheim either as therapeutic products in their own right or as modules for the generation of bispecific mAb2 products.

For its part, f-star will receive an initial technology access fee, research-based funding, and is eligible to receive additional license fees, development, regulatory and commercial milestones and undisclosed tiered royalties on product sales. Boehringer Ingelheim can select several therapeutic products from each of seven discovery programs whereas the total payment to f-star for each of these programs, excluding royalty payments, could reach up to 180 million euros ($245.9 million) in case of full commercial success of multiple therapeutic products. Further details of the agreement were not disclosed.