Eureka Therapeutics Inc. and Boehringer Ingelheim Announce a Collaboration to Identify Next Generation Antibodies for Cancer Treatment

Emeryville, CA – May 21, 2015 – Eureka Therapeutics Inc. and Boehringer Ingelheim announced today that they have entered into a research agreement for the discovery of novel therapeutic antibodies in oncology.

Eureka Therapeutics will apply its proprietary human sequence antibody libraries and its unique technology platform to identify antibodies recognizing intracellular proteins, which represent approximately 90% of cancer-specific targets. Cancer-specific peptides that can be displayed via the MHC-complex (major histocompatibility complex) on the cell surface will be selected by Boehringer Ingelheim to develop better therapies for cancer patients, for whom treatment options are inadequate or non-existent. Boehringer Ingelheim will have the option to conduct further development and commercialization of the antibodies. Under the terms of the agreement, Eureka Therapeutics will receive an undisclosed upfront technology access fee and research funding for each program, and may receive technical success fees, option exercise fees, and other downstream payments.

“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.

For more information please visit www.boehringer-ingelheim.com

CONTACT

Boehringer Ingelheim
Dr. Reinhard Malin
Director Corporate Communications
Tel.: +49 (6132) 77-90815
reinhard.malin@boehringer-ingelheim.com

Eureka Therapeutics Inc.
Elisa Pan
Head of Business Operations
Eureka Therapeutics, Inc.
5858 Horton Street, Suite 362
Emeryville, CA 94608
510-654-7045
admin@eurekainc.com

Share:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Alexa Willson

CFO

Alexa Willson has served as the Chief Financial Officer of Eureka Therapeutics since August 2022. Prior to joining the company, She was a Managing Partner of Cloudstone Venture Capital, an early-stage healthtech venture firm since October 2020. Cloudstone is also an investor of Eureka Therapeutics.

Ms. Willson has over 25 years of experience advising public and private companies on corporate finance, strategy, capital raising, valuation, mergers & acquisitions, and other matters. She has founded and run a midmarket investment banking boutique and worked with large Wall Street investment banks, including Kidder Peabody and Drexel Burnham.

Ms. Willson has served on private and non-profit boards and investment committees in various capacities. She teaches financial literacy. Ms. Willson holds a BA from Harvard and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.