Boehringer Ingelheim and MacroGenics Announce Global Alliance to Discover, Develop and Commercialize DART™-Based Antibody Therapeutics

INGELHEIM, Germany and ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Boehringer Ingelheim and MacroGenics today jointly announced that they have entered into a global alliance to discover, develop and commercialize antibody-based therapeutics which may span multiple therapeutic areas, including immunology, oncology, respiratory, cardiometabolic and infectious diseases.  These developmental drug candidates will be based on MacroGenics' Dual-Affinity Re-Targeting (DART™) platform and will be directed against up to ten combinations of molecular targets.

"This alliance represents the largest external commitment to our DART platform to date and the latest validation of our ongoing efforts," said Dr. Scott Koenig, MacroGenics' President and Chief Executive Officer.  "We are very pleased to be collaborating with the global pharmaceutical research-driven company Boehringer Ingelheim toward the goal of developing next-generation, antibody-based therapeutics."

"Combining MacroGenics' innovative DART-based antibody platform with our experience and capabilities in drug discovery and development has the potential to generate breakthrough medicines that will help patients with a range of diseases which cannot be adequately treated at present," said Prof Wolfgang Rettig, Senior Vice President Corporate Research of Boehringer Ingelheim.

Both companies will share responsibility for discovery and certain preclinical activities.  In addition, Boehringer Ingelheim will have sole responsibility for all subsequent preclinical, clinical, regulatory, commercial and manufacturing activities for any DART-based product resulting from the collaboration.

During the first three years of the collaboration, MacroGenics expects to receive payments of about $60 million, which includes an upfront cash payment, annual maintenance fees, R&D funding, and near-term research-based milestones. Boehringer Ingelheim also expects to make a future equity investment in MacroGenics.  In addition, MacroGenics may be eligible to receive development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments that can reach up to $210 million for each of the ten DART programs in case of full commercial success of multiple DART products.  MacroGenics may also receive tiered royalties on net product sales. MacroGenics has the option to co-promote certain DART products in the United States. Further financial details were not disclosed.

DART Background

The DART platform is a bispecific antibody technology that enables the generation of highly stable antibody-based therapeutic molecules that can simultaneously target two different antigens. DART therapeutics can accommodate virtually any variable region sequence in a "plug-and-play" fashion and have very favorable manufacturing properties. DART proteins are available in both bacterial and mammalian expression systems. DARTs have also been engineered with an Fc domain, which confers them with additional properties, such as Fc receptor binding and extended half-life.

About MacroGenics

MacroGenics is a private, venture-backed biotechnology company that focuses on the discovery, development and delivery to patients of novel biologics for autoimmune disorders, cancer and infectious diseases.  Since its founding in 2000, the company has built a fully-integrated set of capabilities in antibody-based product development.  The company has generated a proprietary pipeline of innovative product candidates by leveraging its three core technology platforms. These proprietary platforms include: (1) cancer stem-like cells; (2) DART technology, which allows the company to incorporate multiple specificities within a single molecule; and (3) Fc optimization, which enhances antibody-dependent effector functions.  The company's lead program, teplizumab, is an anti-CD3 antibody.  Teplizumab is being investigated in Phase 3 trials for the treatment of autoimmune diseases in collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company.  For more information about MacroGenics, please visit www.macrogenics.com.

About Boehringer Ingelheim

The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world's 20 leading pharmaceutical companies.  Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it operates globally with 142 affiliates in 50 countries and more than 41,500 employees.  Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel products of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.

In 2009, Boehringer Ingelheim posted net sales of 12.7 billion euro while spending 21% of net sales in its largest business segment Prescription Medicines on research and development.

For more information about Boehringer Ingelheim, please visit www.boehringer-ingelheim.com.

Statements made in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "expects," "believes," "intends," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statement. Specifically, there are a number of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, such as MacroGenics' ability to raise additional capital, and risks related to MacroGenics' and Boehringer Ingelheim's ability to initiate, and enroll patients in, planned clinical trials. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Neither MacroGenics nor Boehringer Ingelheim assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or developments, except as required by law.

SOURCE Boehringer Ingelheim; MacroGenics