Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) and Sarah Cannon Research Institute, the research arm of Nashville, Tennessee-based Sarah Cannon, a global cancer institute of the Hospital Corporation of America, have expanded their immuno-oncology partnership to evaluate BI’s BI 891065, a SMAC mimetic, alone and as a potential combination partner with PD-1-directed cancer therapy.

SMAC mimetics are targeted, small molecules that trigger tumor-cell death and immune-system activation that may enhance the activity of immunotherapies in the treatment of cancer, according to BI.

Through this collaboration, Boehringer Ingelheim’s BI 891065 will be studied in a Phase I clinical trial alone and in combination with BI 754091 (anti-PD-1) in patients with advanced metastatic solid tumors. The first patient has been enrolled in the Phase I study, which aims to include approximately 100 patients.

In October 2016, the partners announced a joint clinical development program to study Boehringer Ingelheim’s BI 754091 (anti-PD-1) and BI 754111 (anti-LAG 3) monoclonal antibodies for the combination treatment of multiple cancers.

Source: Boehringer Ingelheim