The partnership will implement a “multifaceted collaboration model that nimbly and flexibly caters for the specific needs of the involved research groups,” as BI puts it. It will comprise project-based research, a joint post-doctorate fellowship program and a number of Boehringer Ingelheim-endowed investigators. The partnership aims to strengthen BI’s portfolio of early and unique pipeline projects, “supporting the company’s aspiration to be at the forefront of science and technology and deliver more first-in-class medicines with breakthrough potential” and taking BI’s research and development efforts in Asia “to the next level.”

 

Research teams at PKU will work closely with their counterparts at Boehringer Ingelheim to leverage the company’s expertise in pharmaceutical research and development with their novel approaches and insights to identify novel targets and medicines within and beyond the company’s key therapeutic areas. These include cancer, cancer immunology and immune modulation, respiratory, cardiometabolic and central nervous system diseases.

 

“We are excited to launch a comprehensive partnership program with scientists from PKU who are at the forefront of biomedical discovery. This collaboration with one of the most prestigious scientific institutions will enable us to benefit from and contribute to the impressive boom in life-science research in China,” said Dr. Clive R. Wood, senior corporate vice president of discovery research at BI. “The flexible partnership model developed allows PKU and Boehringer Ingelheim scientists to work hand in hand to jointly advance promising biomedical discoveries.”

 

Asia, and in particular China, has gained a reputation as a leading center of excellence in biomedical research, opening new collaborative opportunities for Boehringer Ingelheim to provide the next wave of medical innovation. The PKU collaboration continues the success of recent projects in China, such as the China Southeast University Institute of Life Sciences’ project with Boehringer Ingelheim to develop new treatment approaches for hearing loss through regeneration of hair cells.

 

“This new collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim reflects a mutual goal for excellence and providing innovative approaches that bridge the gap between basic science and medical development,” said Jie Wang, vice president of Peking University. “We are proud to work with Boehringer Ingelheim to advance knowledge that will benefit patients in China and worldwide.”