Global pharma powerhouse Boehringer Ingelheim has announced a strategic clinical collaboration with Jazz Pharmaceuticals to explore a new combination therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer. 

 

The partnership will launch a Phase 1b cohort within Boehringer’s ongoing Beamion-BCGC1 trial, testing the combination of Boehringer’s zongertinib and Jazz’s zanidatamab.

 

HER2-positive breast cancer, an aggressive subtype accounting for 15–20% of all cases, continues to carry poor outcomes, with five-year survival rates around 50% for advanced or metastatic patients. The collaboration seeks to change that by pairing two differentiated HER2-targeted therapies, potentially creating a new option for patients.

 

“At Boehringer Ingelheim, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of science to deliver innovative solutions for patients with high unmet need,” said Itziar Canamasas, Global Head of Oncology at Boehringer Ingelheim. 

 

“By combining zongertinib’s precision approach with zanidatamab’s unique bispecific antibody mechanism, we aim to unlock new possibilities for patients living with HER2-expressing breast cancer.”

 

Amal Melhem-Bertrandt, VP, Oncology Therapy Area Head and Zanidatamab Global Clinical Lead at Jazz Pharmaceuticals, added: “This research collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim is centered in our shared vision to transform treatment paradigms in HER2-expressing breast cancer through the investigation of this novel HER2-targeted combination therapy, as well as possible opportunities to advance outcomes in multiple tumor types.”

 

The Phase 1b study marks a significant step in combining precision-targeted and bispecific antibody therapies, signalling renewed hope for patients facing one of the most challenging forms of breast cancer.