Boehringer Ingelheim and 3T Biosciences Enter Second Strategic Collaboration to Develop Next-Generation Cancer Immunotherapies

Ingelheim, Germany and South San Francisco, California, USAJanuary 12, 2024PR Newswire -- Recently, Boehringer Ingelheim and biotechnology company 3T Biosciences ("3T" for short) announced that they have reached a new strategic collaboration and licensing agreement, focusing on the discovery and development of next-generation transformative cancer immunotherapies.

Despite the significant transformation in cancer treatment brought about by immunotherapy, durable responses are only observed in 15-20% of cancer cases. Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to substantially increasing this percentage by leveraging complementary immuno-oncology platforms such as T-cell engagers (TcEs), oncolytic viruses, and cancer vaccines, thereby enabling more cancer patients to benefit from immunotherapy.

This is the second research collaboration between Boehringer Ingelheim and 3T Biosciences. Last year, the two companies announced the successful completion of their initial research collaboration, and this partnership builds on that foundation. The collaboration combines 3T Biosciences' best-in-class 3T-TRACE (T-Cell Receptor Antigen and Cross-Reactivity Engine) discovery platform with Boehringer Ingelheim's commitment to developing first-in-class cancer immunotherapies, enhancing the immune system’s ability to recognize, attack, and kill tumor cells.

Lamine Mbow, Ph.D., Global Head of Oncology Immunology and Immuno-Oncology at Boehringer Ingelheim, stated: "Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to transforming patients' lives. The success of our initial collaboration with 3T Biosciences has given us confidence that we can and will expand and accelerate the development process of our first-in-class T cell-based cancer therapies within our R&D pipeline."

"The collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim over the past year has provided a higher level of validation for our 3T-TRACE discovery platform," said Dr. Stefan J. Scherer, President and CEO of 3T Biosciences. "Building on the success of the initial collaboration, we will conduct broader and deeper research in other cancer fields."

According to the agreement, Boehringer Ingelheim will provide T-cell receptor (TCR) data derived from patients to advance 3T Biosciences' target discovery efforts using its 3T TRACE discovery platform to identify the antigens recognized by them. Under the terms of the agreement, 3T Biosciences will receive an upfront payment and R&D support and is eligible to earn discovery, preclinical, clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestones totaling $538.5 million across two agreements, as well as future royalties on sales of Boehringer Ingelheim’s products. Boehringer Ingelheim is also eligible to receive royalties on future product sales by 3T Biosciences.