CDR-Life Announces Fifth Milestone Achievement with Boehringer Ingelheim in Geographic Atrophy

Advancing Novel Antibody Fragment-Based Therapy in Phase 2

ZÜRICH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CDR-Life today announced the achievement of the fifth milestone under its collaboration and licensing agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim in the advancement of BI 771716, a novel therapeutic candidate for the treatment of geographic atrophy (GA), a leading cause of vision loss.

This milestone follows successful Phase 1 results demonstrating a favorable safety profile for BI 771716 across both single and multiple intravitreal doses. The program has advanced into Phase 2 (clinicaltrials.gov), with patient recruitment now underway.

BI 771716, engineered using CDR-Life's proprietary technology and developed by Boehringer Ingelheim, represents a potential breakthrough in retinal therapy. Its unique antibody fragment design allows for enhanced penetration across retinal layers to reach key disease targets. These distinctive molecular characteristics position BI 771716 as a potentially transformative treatment for GA.

“The achievement of this important fifth milestone in our partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim underscores the steady progress of BI 771716 in clinical development,” said Christian Leisner, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer at CDR-Life. “This milestone further reinforces the ability of our platform to deliver drug candidates with the potential to treat devasting diseases such as GA.”

CDR-Life and Boehringer Ingelheim initiated their collaboration and licensing agreement in May 2020, followed by the selection of an antibody fragment-based therapeutic candidate in September 2021. The companies have successfully executed all milestones to date.

About Geographic Atrophy (GA)

GA is a chronic, progressive and irreversible retinal disease that occurs in people with late-stage dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), significantly impacting vision. More than 5 million people worldwide suffer from GA, with over 40% being legally blind. As GA worsens with age, its incidence is expected to rise in aging populations, highlighting the urgent need for effective treatments.

About CDR-Life

CDR-Life develops highly targeted T cell engagers (TCEs) for the treatment of solid cancers and autoimmune diseases. Our M-gager® platform delivers TCEs against challenging intracellular and surface antigens through unparalleled target-specificity. With our first oncology program now in clinical trials, we are advancing a pipeline of potent and selective TCE therapeutics. Our partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim on a molecule derived from our M-gager® platform, progressing to Phase 2 trials, demonstrates the potential of our antibody-derived molecules. Backed by leading cross-Atlantic investors, our team is committed to bringing life-changing, disease-modifying medicines to patients globally. Learn more at www.cdr-life.com.