CDR-Life collaborating with Boehringer Ingelheim

The Schlieren-based biotechnology company CDR-Life is joining forces with the pharmaceutical group Boehringer Ingelheim. According to a press release, the two partners are together planning to find a “key pathway” in the fight against geographic atrophy (GA). The basis for this will be provided by antibody fragments developed by CDR-Life. GA is a progressive, irreversible retinal disease that occurs in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). There is presently no treatment for this.

Christian Leisner, CEO at CDR-Life, comments in the press release: “This is an exciting partnership that brings together Boehringer Ingelheim’s development expertise and CDR-Life’s innovative antibody fragments to provide hope for people living with a blinding retinal disease. We look forward to advancing this project towards the clinic together with the Boehringer Ingelheim team”.

High-affinity therapies using antibody fragments developed by CDR-Life have the potential, according the press release, to reach the retinal pigment epithelial cells, exactly the spot where degeneration occurs. This precise technology could contribute to reducing the cellular stresses caused by macular degeneration in addition to preventing additional loss of sight.

“The prospect of losing one’s sight is frightening”, explains Dr. Clive R. Wood, Corporate Senior Vice President and Global Head of Discovery Research at Boehringer Ingelheim, in the press release. He adds: “We are committed to transformational therapies that have the potential to succeed in preserving the health and vision of patients with retinal diseases such as geographic atrophy”.