Boehringer Ingelheim and Sarah Cannon Research Institute have entered a strategic collaboration uniting Boehringer’s cancer drug development experience with Sarah Cannon’s expertise and in designing and optimizing clinical trials.

The joint clinical development program will study Boehringer’s BI 754091 (anti- PD-1) and BI 754111 (anti-LAG 3) monoclonal antibodies for the combination treatment of multiple cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). BI 754091 and BI 754111 are immune checkpoint inhibitors designed to rally the immune system to fight cancer. As both compounds interact with the immune system at different points, the combination treatment approach is expected to result in better anti-tumor response.

Sarah Cannon will provide clinical development services and operational delivery of Boehringer’s early stage development programs. The collaboration aims to enable rapid patient enrollment through Sarah Cannon’s network across the U.S. and UK.

“Clinical research is a critical component of finding more effective therapies for patients across different cancer types,” said Howard A. “Skip” Burris, MD, president, Clinical Operations and chief medical officer, Sarah Cannon. “We are committed to advancing treatment options through more targeted methods for patients fighting cancer. By collaborating with Boehringer Ingelheim’s oncology research teams, we can further our understanding of immunotherapies and bring these cutting-edge treatment options into the community more rapidly for patients.”

“We are excited to partner with the scientific experts at Sarah Cannon to boost the development of two immune-oncology candidates from Boehringer Ingelheim’s broad oncology pipeline,” said Dr. Jörg Barth, corporate senior vice president, Therapy Area Head Oncology, Boehringer Ingelheim. “This collaboration is an important part of our commitment to the area of immune oncology and complements our ongoing research efforts to develop therapeutic cancer vaccines or cancer-fighting viruses as well as in the development of novel targeted therapies.”