The BBT-877 is Bridge Biotherapeutics’ autotaxin inhibitor being developed to treat various fibrosing interstitial lung diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
Under the deal, Bridge Biotherapeutics will secure upfront and near term payments of €45m (£40.5m).
Bridge will also secure over €1.1bn (£990m) based on the achievement of specific development, regulatory and commercial milestones, In addition, it is eligible to receive double-digit royalties.
Bridge Biotherapeutics CEO James Lee said: “Bridge Biotherapeutics is pleased to partner with Boehringer Ingelheim, a recognized leader in IPF. The expertise of Boehringer Ingelheim will ensure that our novel therapeutic candidate can be developed to potentially address unmet medical needs of IPF patients worldwide.”
LegoChem Biosciences had discovered BBT-877 candidate, which was licenced by Bridge Biotherapeutics in 2017 for further development.
At present, the BBT-877 is under phase I clinical studies and is expected to enter phase II testing within one year.
Initially, the partnership will develop the compound to treat IPF, which is a major focus area for Boehringer.
The BBT-877 holds the capacity to prohibit autotaxin, an enzyme mediating a key pro-fibrotic event in multiple cell types. It has demonstrated a better safety and efficacy profile in pre-clinical models for fibrosing interstitial lung diseases.
Boehringer has developed OFEV (nintedanib), an antifibrotic drug demonstrated to minimise disease progression by reducing lung function decline. It is approved to treat IPF in over 70 countries, including the US, the EU, and Japan.
According to the company, IPF is a rare, debilitating and fatal lung disease affecting around three million people across the world.
Boehringer Ingelheim managing directors board member Michel Pairet said: “We look forward to working with the team at Bridge Biotherapeutics to develop a new treatment option for patients with IPF.
“This new collaboration complements our growing pipeline in fibrosing interstitial lung diseases and is a sign of our determination to bring the next generation of treatment options to these patients.”