Boehringer Ingelheim and BioMed X crowdsource COPD research

Boehringer Ingelheim and its partner BioMed X have partnered to establish a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) research team through crowdsourcing.

The companies have successfully applied a crowdsourcing approach to establish a team of outstanding scientists from around the world with ideas for potential new approaches to treating COPD.

Their work will focus on the characterisation of epigenetic regulators driving hallmarks of COPD pathophysiology, with Renata Jurkowska to head up a team based at the BioMed X Innovation Centre on the campus of the University of Heidelberg.

Boehringer Ingelheim will sponsor the researchers for two years, with the option to extend the funding period up to a total of four years.

Michel Pairet, senior corporate vice-president of research and non-clinical development at Boehringer Ingelheim, said: "We firmly believe that crowdsourcing is an exciting and refreshing way to find unconventional solutions based on the diversity of talents and ideas."

COPD is a treatable but incurable lung disease affecting 210 million people worldwide. It is predicted to become the third leading cause of death by 2030.