BOEHRINGER-INGELHEIM
11.6.2019 14:02:15 CEST | Business Wire | Press release
Following the success of their ongoing alliance, Boehringer Ingelheim and the University of Dundee extend their collaboration to develop new medicines that target and destroy key cancer causing proteins. This brings together the expertise of Professor Alessio Ciulli, one of the pioneers in the field of Proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs), based in the School of Life Sciences at Dundee, with Boehringer Ingelheim’s pharmaceutical expertise and commitment to bring innovative medicines to patients with cancer.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190611005444/en/
PROTACs represent a new class of drug candidates with the potential to tackle compelling cancer targets which have failed traditional medicinal chemistry approaches. They work by harnessing the cell’s natural disposal system (the ubiquitin-proteasome). Candidate disease-causing proteins are labelled as “expired” proteins which the proteasome then shreds.
“PROTACs are a disruptive therapeutic modality which are bringing previously deemed undruggable targets within reach. Our collaboration will continue to work to bring this new class of medicines to patients,” said Darryl B. McConnell, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Research Site Head, Boehringer Ingelheim, Vienna, Austria. “The joint team is making rapid progress and have successfully reached the first collaboration milestone setting a solid basis for achieving our goals.”
Since the initiation of the collaboration in 2016 and a significant expansion in 2018, the application of PROTACs has grown dramatically. However, designing PROTACs remains challenging and largely empirical in nature, hindering faster progress in the field. The partners have thus developed a structure-based design approach as a solid basis to accelerate further development. In addition, to boost PROTAC research around the world, Boehringer Ingelheim has made the protein degrader compound MZ-1, developed at the University of Dundee, freely available through its opnMe portal in 2018. Further PROTAC molecules are considered for release on opnMe based on the success of this initiative.
The joint team has reported recent progress in a number of scientific publications, including most recently in the journal Nature Chemical Biology . This publication highlights their approach to use 3-dimensional pictures at atomic resolution to design highly potent and selective drug candidates. The new approach has yielded the first PROTAC which shreds SMARCA2, a protein that drives the tumors of more than 20,000 new patients with cancer each year and for which drug discovery approaches have otherwise been unsuccessful to date.
“Our joint publication is a leading example of translating the detailed understanding we are developing of how PROTACs work, to craft degrader molecules that effectively tackle previously ‘undruggable’ targets”, said Alessio Ciulli, Ph.D., Chair of Chemical and Structural Biology at the University of Dundee, and winner of the 2016 RSC Capps Green Zomaya Award for medicinal chemistry. “The expansion marks an important milestone in the development of our alliance. It enables the joint team to drive the next phase of degrading highly-prized cancer targets previously intractable via other approaches”
Boehringer Ingelheim is focusing on developing innovative new treatment approaches providing outstanding value for patients. To achieve this, the company is increasing its commitment to external innovation, and is working with top partners from academia and industry worldwide. A growing network of academic collaborations reflects the company’s focus on emerging science that could open new avenues leading to the breakthrough medications of the future.
Please click on the link for “Notes to Editors” and “References”:
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190611005444/en/
Contact:
Boehringer Ingelheim: Dr. Reinhard Malin Head of Communications Innovation Unit Boehringer Ingelheim Corporate Center GmbH Media + PR press@boehringer-ingelheim.com P: +49 6132 77-90815 M: + 49 151 150 20 690 www.boehringer-ingelheim.com
Link:
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Daiichi Sankyo Appoints Markus Kosch to Lead Europe Business as Part of New Commercialization Organization24.8.2026 10:00:00 CEST | Press release
Daiichi Sankyo (TSE: 4568) today announced the appointment of Markus Kosch, MD, as Head of Europe Business, effective April 1, 2027. In this role, he will lead the company's European business within the new globally integrated Commercialization Unit and serve as General Manager of Daiichi Sankyo Europe GmbH, with legal responsibility for the company in Europe. The appointment reflects the next phase of growth of Daiichi Sankyo under its Five-Year Business Plan and the establishment of a new Commercialization Unit. Within this new structure, Markus Kosch will bring together the Oncology and Specialty businesses in Europe under one integrated leadership model to help bring innovative medicines to more patients across the region. For the past five years, Markus Kosch has led the Daiichi Sankyo Oncology Business Division in Europe and Canada, overseeing a period of significant growth and preparing the organization for an increasingly expanding oncology portfolio. Prior to joining Daiichi S
European Commission Approves DAYBU® (trofinetide) as the First and Only Treatment for Neurobehavioral Symptoms of Rett Syndrome in the European Union24.8.2026 09:01:00 CEST | Press release
Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: ACAD) today announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorization for DAYBU (trofinetide) for the treatment of neurobehavioral symptoms of Rett syndrome in adults and pediatric patients aged five years and older, making it the first and only treatment approved for Rett syndrome in the European Union (EU). “The approval of DAYBU marks a significant milestone for the Rett syndrome community in the EU and advances our mission to bring this innovative treatment to patients and families who have long faced a profound unmet medical need,” said Catherine Owen Adams, Acadia’s Chief Executive Officer. “For people living with Rett syndrome, a devastating rare neurodevelopmental disorder, there have been no approved treatment options in the EU. We are proud to make DAYBU available and look forward to supporting patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers gain access to treatment." The DAYBU marketing authorization in the EU is prim
ORZEYFUL (oveporexton) Approved in Japan as the First and Only Medicine to Treat the Underlying Cause of Narcolepsy Type 124.8.2026 08:36:00 CEST | Press release
Discovered by Takeda in Japan, ORZEYFUL has the Potential to Redefine Care Beyond Individual Symptom Management for Adults Living with Narcolepsy Type 1 (NT1) Landmark Phase 3 Studies Demonstrated Significant and Meaningful Improvements Across the Full Range of NT1 Symptoms Evaluated in Clinical Trials Compared to Placebo Milestone Marks Third Major Regulatory Approval Secured for ORZEYFUL Around the World Takeda (TOKYO:4502/NYSE:TAK) announced that the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) approved the use of ORZEYFUL (oveporexton) for the treatment of narcolepsy type 1 (NT1, narcolepsy with cataplexy) in adults. ORZEYFUL is a first-in-class oral orexin receptor 2 (OX2R) agonist and the only medicine indicated in Japan to treat the disease holistically rather than individual symptoms. The discovery of this new class of medicine originated in Takeda's laboratories in Japan. Takeda is proceeding with launch preparations and expects to make ORZEYFUL available as quickly
Fasset Hits $1B Valuation as SBI Group Leads $68M Series C to Scale AI-Powered Stablecoin Neobanking24.8.2026 08:03:00 CEST | Press release
Round led by SBI Group follows $51 million Series B raise in May 2026, marking ascent as one of the fastest-growing neobanking platforms. Capital will expand Own Network and deepen AI across stablecoin settlement, tokenization, and corridor banking. Fasset now processes more than $40 billion in annualized transaction volume, serving 3 million+ wallets and more than 1,000 enterprises across 125 countries. Fasset, the AI-powered stablecoin neobanking platform, today announced it has raised $68 million in Series C funding at a $1 billion valuation. The financing was led by SBI Group and follows Fasset’s $51 million Series B earlier this year, which brought Speedinvest onto the cap table alongside a group of strategic investors. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260823503947/en/ Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Co-Founder and CEO, Fasset The new capital will support the expansion of Own Network, Fasset’s regulated financial
Zanders Expands DACH Region with New Office in Vienna, Austria24.8.2026 07:11:00 CEST | Press release
Zanders, the global treasury, risk, and technology consultancy, today announced a significant expansion of its DACH region with the opening of a new office in Vienna. The move builds on Zanders' continued growth across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and marks another step in the firm's strategy of deepening its presence in the markets where client demand for specialized treasury, risk, and corporate finance advisory is growing fastest. DACH has been one of Zanders' priority regions for several years, with the firm steadily expanding its team and client base across Germany and Switzerland. Austria represents a natural next step in that growth: in conversations with clients in the market, Zanders has seen growing interest in treasury transformation and financing support, as companies work through interest rate volatility, refinancing needs, and a broader shift toward more digitized, centralized treasury operations. The new Vienna office allows Zanders to be closer to clients' operati
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom