As part of their 2020 agreement, CDR-Life was eligible to receive payments from Boehringer Ingelheim upon achieving development milestones for the partnered antibody fragment-based drug candidate that could significantly slow down the progression of geographic atrophy (GA). The startup has now triggered a second milestone payment.
CDR-Life is developing highly specific antibody therapeutics to target intracellular proteins presented on the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Its versatile MHC-targeted antibody platform increases access to a vast array of antigens that were not previously addressable to develop a pipeline of first-in-class therapeutics across a broad range of solid tumours such as geographic atrophy (GA).
GA is a progressive, irreversible retinal disease and one of the leading causes of blindness in people over 65 years of age. It occurs in people living with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and affects approximately eight million people globally.
In May 2020, the startup entered an agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim to advance a novel therapy for GA to preserve sight for people living with this blinding retinal disease. The achievement of a development milestone has now triggered a milestone payment.
“This milestone is continued validation of the expertise of our team to identify high-quality antibody fragment-based drug candidates across a broad range of therapeutic applications,” said Christian Leisner, Chief Executive Officer at CDR-Life. “Our partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim has proven successful and will hopefully bring life-changing new treatments for people living with this devastating disease.”
In addition to partnering with Boehringer Ingelheim, CDR-Life is building its own pipeline of novel antibody fragment-based T cell engagers against solid tumours. By uniquely targeting the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), CDR-Life is able to access a new class of intracellular tumour antigens to engage T cells. The company’s first of several therapeutic candidates in development, CDR404, targets MAGE-A4 and is anticipated to enter the clinic in 2024.
(RAN)
The new Swiss Venture Capital Report was published on 26 January. It analyses 304 financing rounds closed in 2020 and includes further article such as an interview with Michael Hengartner, President of the ETH Board, and a list of Swiss "soonicorns". 
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