Boehringer Ingelheim has acquired bacterial cancer therapy company T3 Pharmaceuticals in a deal that could be worth up to 450 million Swiss francs ($508 million).
The addition of Allschwil, Switzerland-based T3 will “significantly expand” the German drugmaker’s immuno-oncology pipeline and aligns with some of the company’s existing R&D programs, Michel Pairet, a member of the board of managing directors at Boehringer Ingelheim, said in a Nov. 22 release.
Boehringer has a history with the Swiss biotech, including co-leading a $27 million funding round in 2020 to support the launch of clinical-stage activities. T3’s lead product, dubbed T3P-Y058-739, is currently being studied in a phase 1 trial for patients with advanced solid tumors.
T3P-Y058-739 was developed using T3’s protein delivery platform that repurposes the bacterial type III secretion (T3S) system so that live bacteria can be harnessed to deliver immune-modulating proteins to cancer cells and tumor micro-environments while avoiding healthy tissue. The bacteria can carry several immune-modulatory proteins, allowing for immuno-oncology combination therapies to be delivered in a single agent.
The cancer platform fits into Boehringer’s vision for boosting long-term remission rates among individuals with cancer, which currently only occur in 15% to 20% of patients, according to the Big Pharma. The company hopes to achieve its goal by combining complementary immuno-oncology platforms—such as T-cell engagers, oncolytic viruses and cancer vaccines—to expand the benefits of immunotherapy to more patients.
Back in March, the German company put down $10 million upfront in a deal with Covant Therapeutics to discover covalent candidates against an emerging cancer target.
Under Boehringer’s wing, T3—a 2015 spin-off from the Biozentrum of the University of Basel—will keep operating in Switzerland. While the companies said the acquisition could be worth up to $508 million, no other financial details were disclosed.
By Gabrielle Masson
Source: fiercebiotech.com
Politico’s Agency IQ reported earlier this month that, due to the Trump administration’s laying off of thousands of staffers, the FDA risked hitting a “trigger,” whereby the FDA could be required to refund industry fees if spending by the agency falls below a certain level.
Pharmaceutical companies are demanding changes in European regulation as looming tariffs implemented by US President Donald Trump “threaten” billions of planned pharma investments on the continent. A group of 32 pharma companies sent a letter to European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen listing requests to avoid an exodus of operations.
Christian Boehringer, Chairman of the Shareholders’ Committee since 2007, has decided to step down from his position as of June 30, 2025. The Shareholders’ Committee has appointed Hubertus von Baumbach, currently Chairman of the Board of Directors, as his successor from July 1, 2025.
