Boehringer expands CDR-Life alliance with $570m autoimmune deal

German pharma major Boehringer Ingelheim has broadened its collaboration with Swiss biotech CDR-Life through a global licensing agreement for CDR111, a trispecific M-gager designed to treat autoimmune diseases. The deal carries a potential value of about $570 million, including $48 million in upfront and near-term payments.

CDR111 is an antibody-based T-cell engager that selectively targets and depletes B cells, aiming to reset immune function in conditions such as lupus, multiple sclerosis and arthritis. The new agreement builds on the companies’ earlier partnership in retinal health, which produced a molecule now being tested in the VERDANT Phase II trial for geographic atrophy.

CDR-Life chief executive Christian Leisner said the expanded alliance “underscores the growing recognition” of the firm’s antibody fragment-based platform, while Boehringer executive Carine Boustany noted its potential to deliver “deep and durable immune reset” in autoimmune diseases. CDR-Life will also receive tiered royalties on future sales.