Boehringer Ingelheim and MD Anderson Cancer Center join forces to discover new treatment approaches for pancreatic cancer

RIDGEFIELD, Conn. and HOUSTON, Texas, Dec. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Boehringer Ingelheim and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today announced a collaboration focused on developing innovative medicines for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The new collaboration combines MD Anderson's unique understanding of potential drivers of PDAC with Boehringer Ingelheim's experience in drug discovery and development.

Pancreatic cancer accounts for four percent of cancer deaths worldwide (330,000 people) and is the seventh most common cause of death from cancer.  Pancreatic cancer is anticipated to become the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States before 2030. Newly diagnosed patients have a median survival of less than one year, and a 5-year survival rate of only 3 to 5 percent. PDAC is one of the most lethal of cancers due to its late detection and resistance to available standard-of-care therapy. Effective medicines directed against PDAC are therefore urgently needed.

"We are excited to be able to work with the leading cancer research and care institution in the world to develop therapies for patients with this devastating cancer," said Clive Wood, senior corporate vice president of Discovery Research at Boehringer Ingelheim. "This partnership is a perfect match because it combines MD Anderson's outstanding capabilities in preclinical concept validation and clinical testing with Boehringer Ingelheim's strength in developing innovative medicines."

The collaboration will focus on identifying and developing therapeutic concepts in novel target areas as well as identification of biomarkers that can accurately identify patients who would respond to potential new therapies. 

"At MD Anderson, we have created integrated platforms that will enable the discovery of more effective therapeutics for cancer patients," said Timothy Heffernan, executive director and co-leader for MD Anderson's Center for Co-Clinical Trials. "This alliance combines expertise in cancer genetics and translational medicine with outstanding drug discovery and development and it has great potential to conquer devastating diseases like pancreatic cancer."

About Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., based in Ridgefield, CT, is the largest U.S. subsidiary of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation.

Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the world's 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, the company operates globally with 146 affiliates and more than 47,000 employees. Since its founding in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel treatments for human and veterinary medicine.

Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to improving lives and providing valuable services and support to patients and families. Our employees create and engage in programs that strengthen our communities. To learn more about how we make more health for more people, visit our Corporate Social Responsibility Report.

In 2014, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of about $16.96 billion dollars (13.3 billion euros). R&D expenditure corresponds to 19.9 percent of its net sales.

For more information please visit www.us.boehringer-ingelheim.com, or follow us on Twitter @BoehringerUS. 

About MD Anderson
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world's most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. The institution's sole mission is to end cancer for patients and their families around the world. MD Anderson is one of only 45 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). MD Anderson is ranked No.1 for cancer care in U.S. News & World Report's "Best Hospital's" survey. It has ranked as one of the nation's top two hospitals since the survey began in 1990, and has ranked first for 11 of the past 14 years. MD Anderson receives a cancer center support grant from the NCI of the National Institutes of Health (P30 CA016672).

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SOURCE Boehringer Ingelheim