Boehringer Ingelheim and Inventiva, a French biopharmaceutical company specialized in the development of innovative therapies for fibrosis, oncology and orphan diseases, announced a new multi-year research and drug discovery collaboration and licensing agreement.

The Inventiva and Boehringer Ingelheim research teams will jointly validate a new therapeutic concept with the aim of discovering new medicines for the treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) and other fibrotic diseases. The partnership will combine Inventiva’s deep knowhow and proprietary technologies in the field of transcriptional regulation and fibrosis with Boehringer Ingelheim’s capabilities in drug discovery and clinical development of new therapeutic agents.

The new collaboration is an example of Boehringer Ingelheim’s increasing focus on external innovation and builds on the company’s track record in IPF drug development. Boehringer Ingelheim has successfully developed nintedanib (OFEV), a small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor, approved and marketed globally for the treatment of IPF in adults and will be responsible for clinical development and commercialization of potential drug candidates from the collaboration.

IPF is a debilitating and fatal lung disease with high mortality, affecting as many as 3 million people worldwide. It is characterized by chronic scaring and remodeling of the lung and progressive decline in lung function. IPF is the most common interstitial lung disease encountered worldwide and poses a major public health threat, as 70% to 80% of patients die within only five years from the diagnosis. To date, the cause of IPF is unidentified and despite recent progress treatment options for patients are still limited.

“We are enthusiastic about this partnership and look forward to collaborating with Inventiva’s team to develop a potential new breakthrough therapy for the treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis,” said Clive R. Wood, Ph.D., senior corporate vice president, Discovery Research at Boehringer Ingelheim. “We are impressed by Inventiva’s research and drug discovery competencies and deep knowledge of the field. We firmly believe that joining forces with Inventiva will enable us to foster translation of an aspirational new therapeutic concept into eagerly awaited new therapies for patients.”

Inventiva will receive an upfront payment and is eligible to receive research funding, potential research, development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments of up to €170 million ($190 million) and tiered royalties on net sales of the products resulting from the partnership. Full financial details remain undisclosed.