By: IPP Bureau
Last updated : July 13, 2026 12:00 pm
Team NIB at XSeed Labs to develop human in vitro platform for accelerating discovery and validation of innovative intraocular biologics
BioMed X and Boehringer Ingelheim have launched a new research team at XSeed Labs, the innovation incubator embedded within Boehringer Ingelheim's U.S. R&D headquarters in Ridgefield, Connecticut, to accelerate the development of next-generation biologics for eye diseases.
The newly established Team NIB (New Platform for Next-Generation Intraocular Biologics) will be led by BioMed X boot camp winner Dr. Deniz Ugurlu Cimen. The team will focus on developing an innovative human organotypic in vitro platform designed to support the development and validation of next-generation intraocular biologics.
The initiative strengthens Boehringer Ingelheim's expanding focus on eye health, where the company is pursuing novel therapeutic approaches for vision-threatening diseases. Retinal disorders remain one of the leading causes of irreversible vision loss worldwide, with significant unmet medical needs and limited treatment options for many patients.
The collaboration aims to develop more predictive human-based research models that can improve translational success and accelerate the development of innovative therapies.
"By building more predictive human-based models, the collaboration aims to enhance translational success and help bring innovative therapies to patients faster," said Remko Bakker, Global Head of Eye Health and Research Beyond Borders at Boehringer Ingelheim.
Dr. Deniz Ugurlu Cimen, a molecular and cell biologist specializing in stem cell-based disease modelling, will lead an interdisciplinary team spanning stem cell biology, biomaterials and micro-physiological systems. Her research integrates stem cell engineering, functional genomics and advanced three-dimensional human model systems to translate biological insights into scalable therapeutic development platforms.
"Progress in intraocular therapeutics depends on models that can meaningfully test and challenge new drug designs," said Dr. Ugurlu Cimen. "We are building a human in vitro eye model that captures essential physiological features to improve the predictive power of therapeutic discovery, supported by an interdisciplinary approach across biology and engineering."
Highlighting the strategic importance of the collaboration, Nazzareno Dimasi, Global Head of Biotherapeutics Discovery at Boehringer Ingelheim, said the partnership combines the company's biologics expertise with BioMed X's innovation model to explore new approaches in drug discovery.
"By combining our deep expertise in biologics with BioMed X's innovation model, we are helping advance new approaches that may expand what's possible in drug discovery and help accelerate delivery of new therapies to patients," he said.
Mark Johnston, CEO of BioMed X USA, said the launch of the second research team at XSeed Labs reflects the success of the collaboration initiated two years ago.
"Two years after unveiling our first research team at Boehringer Ingelheim's Ridgefield R&D site, we are thrilled to expand our joint XSeed Labs incubator on the company's campus and into a new area," Johnston said. "This extended collaboration is proof that installing our BioMed X model within the campus of a major pharmaceutical company can indeed add value to their internal R&D."