Bridge Biotherapeutics said that it has licensed out BBT-877, an idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) treatment candidate, to Boehringer Ingelheim.

Under the contract, the two companies agreed to concentrate primarily on developing IPF treatment.

Bridge Biotherapeutics will also receive 45 million euros as an upfront fee and short-term milestone and can receive up to a maximum of 1.1 billion euros as clinical development, licensing, and sales milestone payment. If commercialized, Boehringer Ingelheim will provide additional royalties.

The treatment is in phase I clinical trials, and Bridge Biotherapeutics expects to enter phase 2 in the next 12 months.

"We are very pleased to sign a partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim, a leader in IPF disease worldwide," Bridge Biotherapeutics CEO Lee Jung-kue said. "Boehringer Ingelheim's expertise will further increase the likelihood Bridge Biotherapeutics will develop its innovative drug candidates into new drugs that address the unmet medical demand of IPF patients worldwide."

Michel Pairet, a director responsible for Boehringer Ingelheim's innovation unit, also said, "We are very excited to work with Bridge Biotherapeutics to develop new treatment options for IPF patients."

This collaboration is the result of Boehringer Ingelheim's efforts to complement the ongoing expansion of the portfolio of fibrotic interstitial lung disease and to provide next-generation treatment options for such patients, Pairet added.

LegoChem Biosciences first discovered BBT-877 and licensed exclusive global rights to Bridge Biotherapeutics for further development. BBT-877 inhibits autotaxin (ATX), which is known to play a role in various diseases, including fibrosis, autoimmune disease and tumors.

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