ZÜRICH, Switzerland, April 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CDR-Life Inc. today announced the advancement of the Phase 1 study with BI 771716, its therapeutic candidate in partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) for the treatment of geographic atrophy (GA). This marks the achievement of the fourth milestone under the collaboration and licensing agreement between BI and CDR-Life.

BI 771716 is an antibody fragment-based compound. Its reduced size enables optimized retinal layer-penetration to the most critical target site driving GA disease pathology.

“We are thrilled by the continued success of our long-term partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim and the progression of BI 771716 in this Phase 1 trial as evident by the achievement of this fourth milestone payment,” said Christian Leisner, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer at CDR-Life. “Together with Boehringer Ingelheim, we are hopeful that this candidate has the potential to significantly slow down the progression of GA, bringing a much-needed treatment option to the millions of patients who are living with this devasting disease.”

CDR-Life and BI announced the collaboration and licensing agreement in May 2020, followed by the selection of an antibody fragment-based therapeutic candidate in September 2021. The companies have executed on all milestones to date.

About Geographic Atrophy (GA)

GA is a chronic and progressive, irreversible retinal disease that occurs in people with late-stage dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) impacting the ability to see. More than 5 million people worldwide suffer from GA, of which more than 40% are legally blind. GA worsens with age, affecting 1 in 29 people above the age of 75 and 1 in 4 people above 90. Consequently, rising incidences are expected in aging populations.

About CDR-Life

CDR-Life is developing powerful T-cell engagers (TCE) to eradicate hard-to-treat solid tumors. Our integrated antibody-based TCE platform unlocks access to a wide range of cancer antigens. We are leveraging this platform to advance a pipeline of potent and selective TCE therapeutics targeting intracellular and surface tumor antigens. With a team of proven drug development experts and backed by leading cross-Atlantic investors, we are working to empower patients’ own immune systems to eliminate tumors.