Envisagenics and Boehringer Ingelheim are joining forces in a multi-year research collaboration aimed at uncovering new, highly tumor-specific targets for hard-to-treat solid cancers, with Envisagenics eligible for more than $1 billion in potential payments.

 

Under the agreement, Boehringer Ingelheim will evaluate selected targets identified through Envisagenics’ AI-powered SpliceCore platform, which uses alternative RNA splicing to uncover cancer-specific targets that conventional, gene-focused approaches can miss.

 

The potential payments include an upfront payment, research funding, option fees and development, regulatory and commercial milestones, as well as royalties on future product sales.

 

The collaboration gives Boehringer the option to exclusively license selected targets for further development and commercialization. The targets could ultimately be pursued across multiple therapeutic approaches, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), T-cell engagers (TcEs) and multispecific antibodies.

 

"We're proud to partner with Boehringer Ingelheim, a recognized leader in oncology with deep expertise in advancing first-in-class precision therapies," said Maria Luisa Pineda, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Envisagenics. 

 

"This collaboration validates our vision that alternative RNA splicing represents one of the richest untapped sources of novel disease-specific therapeutic targets across human disease. By combining our AI-powered SpliceCore platform with Boehringer's oncology expertise, we can accelerate the development of highly differentiated new medicines for patients.”

 

The partnership centers on alternative RNA splicing, a biological process that allows cells to generate multiple protein forms from the same gene. The process is frequently disrupted in cancer, creating tumor-specific protein isoforms that could serve as targets for precision medicines.

 

Envisagenics says its SpliceCore platform combines artificial intelligence, large-scale transcriptomics and experimental validation to systematically identify and prioritize these targets.

 

The platform has screened more than 14 million distinct RNA splicing events, using the data to assess disease specificity, patient prevalence and potential therapeutic suitability.

 

For Boehringer Ingelheim, the deal adds a new source of potential targets to its oncology research strategy.

 

“Growing innovation together with partners is central to how we build our oncology pipeline,” said Mark Petronczki, Global Head of Oncology Research at Boehringer Ingelheim. 

 

“Alternative RNA splicing offers access to a largely unexplored target space, and Envisagenics has built a distinctive capability to investigate it. Through this collaboration, we hope to identify highly tumor-selective targets for the development of new cancer therapies to address the needs of patients who are still waiting for better treatment options.”

 

Envisagenics is developing a pipeline of programs based on RNA-splicing biology, spanning oncology and neurodegenerative disease.

 

In cancer, the company is pursuing targets for ADCs, T-cell engagers, multispecific antibodies, radioligand therapies and other next-generation immunotherapies.

 

The company’s lead program, ENV-375, is described as a late-stage preclinical antisense oligonucleotide therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

 

The Boehringer collaboration marks a significant expansion of Envisagenics’ effort to translate its RNA-splicing platform into potential precision medicines, while giving Boehringer access to a target-discovery approach designed to distinguish cancer cells from healthy tissue.

 

The companies said the collaboration is intended to validate selected tumor-specific targets and determine their potential for development into first-in-class therapies for solid tumors.