Re-Vana and Boehringer Ingelheim launch $1B collaboration to develop extended-release eye therapies

(Image Credit: AdobeStock/AiiNa)

A press release announced a $1 billion collaboration and license agreement between Re-Vana Therapeutics and Boehringer Ingelheim to develop first-in-class extended-release therapies for eye diseases.

The key points of the agreement listed in the press release are:

• Up to 3 development programs annually leading to a potential total deal value exceeding $1 billion contingent on milestone achievements.
• The companies will jointly oversee Re-Vana’s feasibility and development activities for the extended-release programs, with Boehringer Ingelheim assuming sole responsibility for clinical development, regulatory approval, and global commercialization of the products.
• The terms of the agreement grant Boehringer Ingelheim target exclusivity and provide for upfront, development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments to Re-Vana, with the total potential deal value exceeding $1 billion for the initial three targets, in addition to royalty payments on net sales.
• Re-Vana’s drug delivery technology is designed to release slowly over 6 to 12 months, aiming to drastically reduce injection frequency. Lowering the treatment burden could lead to higher treatment compliance and potentially result in better therapeutic outcomes.
• Re-Vana is not just a platform or drug delivery company. It is developing internal assets: a 6-month sustained-release aflibercept and a 6-month bio specific—both photo-crosslinked, bio-erodible, and delivered in the clinic (non-surgical).

Nedim Pipic, Global Head of Mental Health, Eye Health, and Emerging Areas at Boehringer Ingelheim, commented, “We’re looking forward to team[ing] up with Re-Vana to push the boundaries of what’s possible in eye health. Together, we want to tackle the limits of today’s treatments—aiming to help people keep their sight with fewer injections. This partnership is a bold step forward in our mission to protect vision and ease the burden on patients."

According to Michael O’Rourke, Re-Vana Chief Executive Officer, “The strategic collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim marks a transformational moment for Re-Vana. By combining our extended-release platform with Boehringer Ingelheim’s world-class research and development capabilities and eye health pipeline, we strive to bring forward a new generation of long-acting treatments for eye diseases that offer clinical and quality-of-life benefits for patients.”