Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company today announced a global agreement to jointly develop and commercialise a portfolio of diabetes compounds currently in mid- and late-stage development.

Included are Boehringer Ingelheim’s two oral diabetes agents—linagliptin and BI10773—as well as Lilly’s two basal insulin analogues—LY2605541 and LY2963016 as well as the option to co-develop and co-commercialise Lilly’s anti-TGF-beta monoclonal antibody.

Linagliptin is a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor discovered by Boehringer Ingelheim and being developed as an oral once-daily tablet for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. It is currently under regulatory review in the US, Europe and Japan.

Boehringer Ingelheim’s BI10773, a sodium-dependent glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor, began enrollment in Phase III clinical trials last year. It belongs to a new, emerging class of diabetes compounds that block tubular reabsorption of glucose in the kidney. Currently there are no SGLT-2 inhibitors approved for use.

Lilly’s two basal insulin analogue candidates are expected to enter Phase III clinical testing in 2011. Lilly’s two basal insulin analogue candidates are LY2605541, a structurally novel basal insulin analogue, and LY2963016, a new insulin glargine product.

The agreement also includes an option for Boehringer Ingelheim to co-develop and co-commercialise another Lilly diabetes molecule, an anti-TGF-beta monoclonal antibody, which is currently in Phase II of clinical testing in patients with diabetes with chronic kidney disease.

The alliance will leverage the collective scientific expertise and business capabilities of two leading research-driven pharmaceutical companies to address patient needs arising from the growing global diabetes epidemic.

“We are very excited about this new and extensive alliance with Boehringer Ingelheim, with whom we have partnered successfully in the past,” said John C  Lechleiter, Lilly chairman and chief executive officer.

“Working together, we will comprise one of the most robust diabetes pipelines in the pharmaceutical industry. For Lilly, this alliance expands our range of offerings for people with diabetes, strengthens our diabetes care capabilities and offers the prospect of near-term revenue opportunities as we address the upcoming loss of patent exclusivity for several of our products.”

“Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly have agreed to form a strategic alliance in diabetes at a time point when we at Boehringer Ingelheim are entering another new therapeutic area with innovative compounds out of our own Research and Development. This cooperation will give Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly the combined benefits of Lilly’s expertise in the diabetes market and two basal insulin analogues as well as Boehringer Ingelheim’s rich and innovative late-stage pipeline.” said Prof Andreas Barner, chairman of the Board of Managing Directors of Boehringer Ingelheim. –TradeArabia News Service