Boehringer Ingelheim joins forces with Ochre Bio to fight liver disease together

Chronic liver disease (CLD) is a progressive deterioration of liver functions for more than six months, including synthesizing clotting factors and other proteins, detoxifying harmful metabolism products, and bile excretion. Nearly one million population is affected by CLD and associated cirrhosis annually. As CLD progresses, the liver's intrinsic regenerative capacity diminishes, resulting in severe complications such as liver failure or cancer. It is responsible for significantly reducing the quality of life and adding economic burdens on patients and their families across the globe.

To help people fight this severe disease, Boehringer Ingelheim and Ochre Bio have entered a collaborative partnership to develop and discover innovative regenerative therapies, as reported.

This strategic alliance is aligned with Boehringer's commitment to enhance patient outcomes across interconnected cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic conditions. 

As per the terms of this agreement, Ochre shall receive up to $35 million in upfront and near-term research-based milestone payments, along with potential milestones for clinical, regulatory, and commercial achievements, complemented by tiered royalties, summing up to a deal value exceeding $1 billion.

The partnership will leverage Ochre's proprietary discovery platform to identify, characterize, and validate multiple novel regenerative targets for CLD. Boehringer aims to develop innovative treatments modulating these targets to enhance the liver's self-repair capabilities, thereby potentially halting or reversing disease progression.

Ochre's platform integrates machine learning with comprehensive human big data, including advanced imaging, deep genomic phenotyping, and in-house RNA chemistry, to leverage proprietary ex-vivo human-organ perfusion models.

Søren Tullin, the Senior Vice President and Global Head of Cardiometabolic Diseases Research at Boehringer Ingelheim, remarked: "Our collaboration with Ochre Bio is driven by our mutual commitment to accelerating the development of novel therapies for chronic liver diseases, including MASH cirrhosis. We believe Ochre Bio's application of advanced genomics and machine learning, in conjunction with human-centric translational models, will uncover novel regenerative pathways and have a meaningful impact on individuals affected by chronic liver disease."

Quin Wills, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Ochre Bio added: "We are thrilled to collaborate with Boehringer, who shares our conviction that liver regeneration represents an underexplored therapeutic avenue for patients facing liver failure."