Boehringer Ingelheim acquires MabVax’s programme for solid tumours

MabVax Therapeutics Holdings and Boehringer Ingelheim announced they have signed an asset acquisition and related agreements centered on MabVax’s program targeting a glycan commonly overexpressed on multiple solid tumor cancers. Boehringer Ingelheim has acquired all rights in and to the program.

MabVax will receive a total of US $11 million in upfront and near-term milestones as well as downstream regulatory milestone payments plus further earn-out payments. The asset acquisition is separate and distinct from other programs under development at MabVax, enabling MabVax to retain all rights to its lead HuMab-5B1antibody program which is in Phase 1 clinical trials as a therapeutic product and as a diagnostic product, as well as other antibody discovery programs from the Company’s rich antibody discovery portfolio targeting other cancer antigens.

MabVax discovered the antibody series at the center of this transaction from biological samples, originally from patients who were vaccinated against their solid tumors with a glycan antigen-containing vaccine. The discovery of fully human antibodies directly from vaccinated cancer patients has potential advantages which include greater specificity and reduced toxicities. MabVax completed and has reported on early preclinical development activities to establish the utility of the program.

“We are very pleased to have Boehringer Ingelheim as a major industry partner to further develop one of our preclinical antibody assets based on our proprietary HuMab technology,” said David Hansen, President and CEO of MabVax Therapeutics. “This agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim recognizes the value of our innovative approach to discovering novel antibodies to diagnose and treat cancer. We have been committed since the founding of the Company to discovering and developing unique fully human antibodies to diagnose and treat patients with cancers where there remain significant unmet medical needs.”