CDR-Life from the canton of Zurich has achieved a second milestone in connection with the development of a drug candidate to combat the progression of geographic atrophy (GA). According to a press release, this triggers a payment on the basis of a cooperation and licensing agreement with the German pharmaceutical firm Boehringer Ingelheim, which was concluded back in May 2020. In September 2021, CDR-Life, which is a member of the Bio-Technopark Schlieren-Zurich, announced the selection of an antibody fragment-based therapeutic candidate.
Geographic atrophy is an irreversible retinal disease. It is the advanced stage of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and the most common cause of blindness in people aged 65 and over. This disease affects approximately 8 million people around the world and represents the most significant unmet medical need in the field of ophthalmology.
“This milestone is continued validation of the expertise of our team to identify high quality antibody fragment-based drug candidates across a broad range of therapeutic applications”, comments Christian Leisner, CEO of CDR-Life, in the press release, before adding: “Our partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim has proven successful and will hopefully bring life-changing new treatments for people living with this devastating disease”.
In addition to the partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim, CDR-Life is building its own pipeline of novel antibody fragment-based T-cell engagers against solid tumors. The company’s first of several therapeutic candidates in development is expected to enter the clinic in 2024, the press release explains.
