Boehringer in-licenses anti-SIRPA checkpoint inhibitor

Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH (Ingelheim, Germany) acquired exclusive, global rights from OSE Immunotherapeutics S.A. (Euronext:OSE) to develop and commercialize OSE-172 (Effi-Dem), a second-generation checkpoint inhibitor.

OSE-172 is designed to block the “don’t eat me” signal of CD47 on cancer cells by targeting signal regulatory protein alpha (SIRPA), a CD47 receptor on phagocytic myeloid cells. OSE believes the anti-SIRPA mAb could offer an advantage over anti-CD47 antibodies because in addition to helping phagocytes eat tumor cells, OSE-172 also turns up their immune reactivity (see BioCentury Innovations, Nov. 30, 2016)...