Boehringer Ingelheim has penned a 1.05 billion euro ($1.26 billion) biobucks deal for Simcere’s preclinical inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) bispecific antibody.
The deal centers on SIM0709, which targets tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily member 15 (TL1A) and interleukin-23p19 (IL-23p19). SIM0709 has “demonstrated superior synergistic efficacy, even outperforming the combination of the two corresponding monotherapies” in cell and animal studies, Boehringer said in a Jan. 27 release.
In return for the global rights to SIM0709 outside of Simcere’s home territory of China, Boehringer has agreed to a pay an upfront payment and development, regulatory and sales milestone payments that in aggregate could reach 1.05 billion euros. The companies didn’t offer a detailed breakdown of the financials.
Boehringer markets Cyltezo, a biosimilar of AbbVie’s Crohn’s disease drug Humira. The German pharma also has an IBD asset in development in the form of a phase 2-stage TREM-1 antagonist for ulcerative colitis.
“In IBD, too many patients continue to progress and experience severe complications despite currently available anti-inflammatory therapies,” Carine Boustany, Ph.D., U.S. Innovation Unit site head and global head of immunology and respiratory diseases at Boehringer, said in the release.
“We are excited to join forces with Simcere to accelerate the development of this therapeutic as a potential life changing option for patients living with IBD,” Boustany added.
Simcere already markets several oncology drugs in China, including the FDA-approved Cosela to ease the harmful effects of chemotherapy as well as biliary tract cancer treatment Enweida.
The Chinese biopharma’s antibody tech was in high demand last year, with AbbVie penning a $1.05 billion biobucks deal for a phase 1-stage trispecific. Meanwhile, NextCure signed off on $745 million for Simcere’s phase 1-stage tumor asset, while Ipsen secured an antibody-drug conjugate.
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“Simcere’s bispecific antibody SIM0709 was engineered with our proprietary multi-specific antibody platform with first-in-class potential for IBD treatment,” Simcere Chief Investment Officer Gaobo Zhou said in this morning’s release.
“Partnering with Boehringer Ingelheim, with its long‑term commitment and deep expertise in immunology, positions the compound for rigorous global development,” Zhou added. “Together we aim to accelerate the clinical development and advance a treatment option that could improve outcomes for patients worldwide affected by IBD.”
IL-23p19—one of the pathways targeted by SIM0709—has proven its worth thanks to approved immunology drugs like Eli Lilly’s ulcerative colitis med Omvoh, Johnson & Johnson’s Tremfya and AbbVie’s Skyrizi for Crohn’s disease.
TL1A—the other target of Simcere’s drug—has seen increased interest from Big Pharma in the wake of Roche’s $7 billion acquisition of Roivant subsidiary Telavant in 2023. Since then, Sanofi and Teva’s anti-TL1A antibody duvakitug performed well in a phase 2 IBD trial, while AbbVie got in on the action by buying a preclinical IBD candidate from China’s FutureGen Biopharmaceutical in 2024.