NBE-Therapeutics AG

Today, a brief rundown of news involving I-Mab Biopharma and Taysha Gene Therapies, as well as updates from Sanofi, Adcytherix and Boehringer Ingelheim that you may have missed.I-Mab Biopharma will change its name and pursue an initial public offering in Hong Kong as part of a transformation into a hub-and-spoke company with drugmaking subsidiaries. Following the change, I-Mab will rebrand as NovaBridge Biosciences and have a newly formed spoke called Visara acquire an experimental eye drug thats currently in Phase 2 testing in China. NovaBridge will then look to identify and accelerate other high-value assets across a range of therapeutic areas, the company said. Ben FidlerTaysha Gene Therapies has regained rights to an experimental gene therapy for Rett Syndrome after partner Astellas Pharma passed on an option to exclusively license the treatment. The two companies first partnered on the therapy three years ago and, through that alliance, Astellas had the right to negotiate a deal after looking at clinical data. Taysha noted that while Astellas declined to do so, those results helped the company secure a breakthrough therapy designation from the Food and Drug Adminsitration. Pivotal testing should begin later this year. Ben FidlerVeradermics said Thursday it raised $140 million in a Series C round thatll fund development of an oral version of minoxidil, the active ingredient in the hair loss treatment Rogaine. The funding was led by SR One, and joined by at least 10 other firms including Viking Global Investors, Invus, and Surveyor Capital. Veradermics lead program, dubbed VDPHL01, is an extended-release version of minoxidil thats currently in a mid-stage study. The raise follows a similar-sized round earlier this week for Pelage Pharmaceuticals, which is also working on a new kind of hair loss medicine. Gwendolyn WuSanofi on Thursday announced a collaboration agreement with Chicago-based biotechnology company EVOQ Therapeutics to discover new drugs that induce immune tolerance in people with autoimmune conditions. Per deal terms, the two will collaborate on research, while Sanofi will be responsible for development and commercialization. EVOQ could receive over $500 million in upfront and downstream payments, as well as royalties on any products that emerge from the deal. Delilah AlvaradoFrench drugmaker Adcytherix said on Thursday its raised 105 million euros, or $122 million, in Series A funding. The financing was led by Bpifrance and included half a dozen other firms, among them Angelini Ventures and RA Capital. Adcytherix is focusing on antibody-drug conjugates, or ADCs, that deliver to tumors novel toxic payloads, according to a statement. The cash will help propel its lead program, ADCX-020, into clinical testing, with initial submissions expected by the end of the year. Delilah AlvaradoBoehringer Ingelheim will work with AimedBio to develop a new ADC for a broad range of cancers. Per terms of an agreement announced Wednesday, AimedBio is eligible to receive up to $991 million in total payouts, as well as sales royalties if the drug ever reaches market. The deal builds on an ADC portfolio Boehringer got from Swiss biotech NBE Therapeutics through a billion-dollar acquisition five years ago. Delilah Alvarado '

Boehringer Ingelheim and AimedBio did not elaborate on the specific cancers they plan to target with the antibody-drug conjugate candidate, which is expected to enter first-in-human studies in 2026.\n After charting several related moves earlier this year, Boehringer Ingelheim is returning to the antibody-drug conjugate well.Boehringer will pay AimedBio up to $991 million to license and develop one of the South Korean biotech’s ADCs across a “broad range of cancers,” the companies said in an Oct. 15 press release.Under the deal, AimedBio is in line to receive an undisclosed upfront payment from Boehringer plus potential development, regulatory and commercial milestones. Boehringer is also on the hook to pay out royalties on potential future sales of the ADC candidate.The ADC asset girding the deal targets a protein expressed in many malignancies, which plays a “significant role” in tumor growth, metastasis and therapeutic resistance, according to the new partners. AimedBio’s ADC weds a cancer-targeting monoclonal antibody with a derivative of exatecan as the cytotoxic payload, the companies said.Boehringer and AimedBio did not elaborate on the specific cancers they plan to target with the candidate, which is expected to enter first-in-human studies in 2026.AimedBio has just three ADC candidates in its pipeline, two of which are already partnered off, according to the company’s website. The remaining ADC, coded AMB304, is being developed in solid tumors.“Targeting the specific cancer surface marker with AimedBio’s ADC may expand precision medicine treatment options for currently hard to treat cancers and potentially deliver meaningful benefit to patients,” Vittoria Zinzalla, Ph.D., Boehringer’s global head of experimental medicine, said in a statement. “We are proud to move this program into the clinic as part of our mission to transform cancer care.”ADCs have been proven highly effective—and lucrative—in cancer treatment, prompting an outpouring of development efforts in recent years.Boehringer first threw its hat into the ADC ring with the 1.2 billion euro purchase of Swiss conjugation specialist NBE-Therapeutics in late 2020, which allowed the company to add a ROR1-directed ADC to its pipeline. In its press release Wednesday, Boehringer noted that it’s using its NBE subsidiary to drive the ADC agenda at the company.Aside from the latest AimedBio deal, Boehringer has charted a number of other ADC projects in 2025, starting with a partnership with Lonza unit Synaffix that was unveiled in January. Under that licensing pact—which is worth up to $1.3 billion—Synaffix agreed to grant Boehringer access to its proprietary ADC technologies for an “agreed but undisclosed number of targets.” The companies confirmed the first target prior to the deal’s signing, with the remaining ones to be determined later, Boehringer and Synaffix said at the time.Months later, Boehringer in April laid out 27 million Swiss francs (then worth roughly $31 million) to stand up a new NBE research and development facility for ADCs in the Swiss city of Basel. The project covers 1,826 square meters (19,655 square feet) of lab space and will host about 50 scientists as well as other staff.The site is expected to “contribute to building a broad pipeline of ADCs, addressing novel tumor target space to develop next-generation cancer treatments,” Boehringer said earlier this year.  

Collaboration and license agreement will advance Boehringer’s expanding antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) portfolio with a new asset expected to enter first-in-human studies next year.New, potentially best-in-class ADC is targeting a tumor selective marker present in a broad spectrum of cancers with high medical need. Ingelheim, Germany, and Seoul, Korea, 15 October 2025 – Boehringer Ingelheim and AimedBio, a biotechnology company specializing in the development of antibody-based therapeutics, today announced a global collaboration and licensing agreement to develop a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) therapy for a broad range of cancers. The agreement further strengthens Boehringer's growing ADC portfolio, driven by its subsidiary, NBE Therapeutics, to achieve the company’s aim of transforming the lives of people with cancer. “ADCs are a powerful therapeutic approach that combines biological precision with chemical potency,” said Vittoria Zinzalla, Global Head of Experimental Medicine at Boehringer Ingelheim. “Targeting the specific cancer surface marker with AimedBio’s ADC may expand precision medicine treatment options for currently hard to treat cancers and potentially deliver meaningful benefit to patients. We are proud to move this program into the clinic as part of our mission to transform cancer care.” ADCs harness the specificity of monoclonal antibodies and the potency of cytotoxic agents – in this case a derivative of exatecan – to selectively target and eliminate cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. The ADC developed by AimedBio targets a protein that is highly expressed across a broad spectrum of cancers, minimally present in normal tissues, and plays a significant role in tumor growth, metastasis and resistance to therapy. Targeting this protein with an ADC is expected to enable highly specific cytotoxic action against the tumor cells, enhancing efficacy and supporting better outcomes for patients. “We believe this program has the potential to transform the treatment landscape for many cancers that currently lack effective options. Partnering with Boehringer will help advance this program with the speed, scale, and expertise needed to validate this novel target and approach,” said Do-Hyun Nam, CTO of AimedBio. “Boehringer’s strong commitment to next-generation cancer therapies makes them the ideal partner to carry this program forward into the clinic and beyond.” Under the terms of the agreement, AimedBio is entitled to receive up to $991 million in total, including an upfront payment, development and regulatory milestones, and commercial milestones, as well as separate royalty payments on net sales. Boehringer IngelheimBoehringer Ingelheim is a biopharmaceutical company active in both human and animal health. As one of the industry’s top investors in research and development, the company focuses on developing innovative therapies that can improve and extend lives in areas of high unmet medical need. Independent since its foundation in 1885, Boehringer Ingelheim takes a long-term perspective, embedding sustainability along the entire value chain. More than 53,500 employees serve over 130 markets to build a healthier, more sustainable and equitable tomorrow. Learn more at https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com (Global) or https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/uk (UK). About AimedBioFounded in 2018 as a spin-off from Samsung Medical Center, AimedBio is a partnered clinical-stage biotech advancing an out-licensed ADC currently in a clinical trial. The company specializes in antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and antibody-based cancer therapies, distinguished by its integration of patient-derived data and samples throughout the development process to enhance precision and clinical relevance. By working closely with clinicians, AimedBio focuses on high-priority medical needs and leverages both clinical and public data to identify effective gene targets. Its proprietary antibody panning method with patient-derived cells (PDCs) enhances ADC precision, reduces trial attrition, and improves predictions of drug efficacy and safety—thereby accelerating development timelines. Intended Audiences NoticeThis press release is issued from our Corporate Headquarters in Ingelheim, Germany and is intended to provide information about our global business. Please be aware that information relating to the approval status and labels of approved products may vary from country to country, and a country-specific press release on this topic may have been issued in the countries where we do business. AimedBio Contact bd@aimedbio.com Boehringer IngelheimReinhard MalinT +49 (6132) 77-90815M +49 (151) 15020690E reinhard.malin@boehringer-ingelheim.comLinda RuckelT +1 (203) 791-6672M +1 (917) 692-0848E linda.ruckel@boehringer-ingelheim.com