Duke-NUS and Boehringer Ingelheim Partner on Fibrotic and Inflammatory Disease Therapies
Duke-NUS Medical School and its spin-out Enleofen Bio have partnered with Boehringer Ingelheim to develop novel antibody therapeutics targeting fibrotic and inflammatory diseases.
Researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School, National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS), and SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre (AMC) have identified a new therapeutic approach for fibrotic and inflammatory diseases. Their developed antibody therapeutics target the protein interleukin 11 (IL-11), a key driver of fibrosis and inflammation in organs such as the liver, lungs, kidneys, eyes, and heart.
The Singapore-based biotech company Enleofen Bio has developed these IL-11 neutralizing antibody therapeutics. Enleofen Bio has entered into a strategic partnership with the global pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. This collaboration aims to advance the clinical development and potential market entry of these drug candidates for multiple fibrotic conditions, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases (PF-ILDs).
This development represents a significant step in medical research, given the limited effective treatments currently available for fibrotic diseases. Professor Stuart Cook of Duke-NUS Medical School highlighted the importance of the collaboration, stating, "We are very excited to engage Boehringer Ingelheim, a leading and innovative pharmaceutical company, on this important phase of drug and clinical development." The agreement could potentially yield over $1 billion per product.
Professor Thomas M. Coffman, Dean of Duke-NUS Medical School, described the partnership as an example of successful academic medicine collaboration. The partnership integrates scientific research with patient care, aiming to deliver practical solutions for healthcare.