Boehringer Ingelheim and Vitae announce diabetes partnership

Boehringer Ingelheim and Vitae Pharmaceuticals have signed a partnership agreement for the development and marketing of innovative treatments for metabolic diseases and diabetes.

Under the terms of the agreement, Boehringer Ingelheim will initially pay Vitae $36.5 million (17.97 million pounds), with further payments of up to $300 possible upon the attainment of pre-specified development, regulatory and commercial landmarks.

Boehringer Ingelheim will lead development and marketing efforts for the compounds, while Vitae will retain the right to develop products for some indications independently.

The companies are to commercialise compounds which inhibit an enzyme with a role in cortisol production known as 11beta-HSD1 that could be useful in the treatment of diabetes, in addition to dyslipidemia, hypertension, obesity and other metabolic syndrome related diseases.

Dr Andreas Barner, vice-chairman of the board of managing directors and head of pharma research, development and medicine at Boehringer Ingelheim, said: “Boehringer Ingelheim looks forward to complementing its own diabetes pipeline development activities by combining resources on this exciting target.”

He added that the firm is using its knowledge in the field of metabolic research together with its drug development and marketing capabilities to bolster its existing metabolic portfolio and develop new treatments for patients.

Earlier this month, Boehringer Ingelheim was ranked as the top employer in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry by Science magazine.