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At the heart of the licensing deal is CUE-501, a bispecific molecule that can selectively deplete B cells to address autoimmune and inflammatory conditions.
Boehringer Ingelheim
is
fronting $12 million
to license Cue Biopharma’s investigational B cell depletion therapy for autoimmune diseases, the German biopharma announced on Monday.
The star of this back-heavy, multi-year deal is Cue’s CUE-501, a preclinical bispecific molecule that works by binding to a specific protein found on the surface of B cells. At the same time, CUE-501 also engages and activates a specific subset of killer T cells, selectively depleting B cells to suppress autoimmunity and inflammation.
According to the biotech’s
website
, CUE-501 sidesteps the systemic activation of all T cells, which “may offer significant advantages over current cell therapy-based strategies.”
For the right to develop and commercialize CUE-501, Boehringer Ingelheim is pledging up to $345 million in research, development and commercial milestones, on top of the $12 million upfront payment. Cue will also be entitled to royalties on net sales of CUE-501.
In exchange for this investment, Cue will leverage its platform technologies to further develop CUE-501. Both parties may also expand the partnership to include other anti-B cell bispecifics for autoimmune indications, according to Monday’s release.
Carine Boustany, Boehringer Ingelheim’s global head of Immunology and Respiratory Disease Research, said in a statement that Monday’s licensing deal is a “strategic expansion” of the company’s portfolio in the autoimmune and inflammatory space, allowing it to “deliver a more effective treatment option to patients earlier in their disease journey.”
Boehringer’s immunology and inflammatory portfolio is anchored by the oral kinase inhibitor Ofev, indicated for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). In 2024, sales of Ofev
jumped 7%
to rake in approximately $4.26 billion. Meanwhile, the pharma’s asthma drug Spiriva remained one of its top sellers, with more than $1.8 billion in sales last year, despite dipping roughly 17% from the previous year.
Additionally, in September 2024, Boehringer Ingelheim reported that its drug candidate nerandomilast
aced
the Phase III FIBRONEER-IPF study, showing significant lung function benefits in patients with IPF. At the time, the pharma revealed plans to approval application for the drug in this indication, though a specific timeline was not provided.
Beyond I&I, Boehringer Ingelheim has also signed several deals in the past year. In January, the pharma entered
two antibody-focused partnerships
—one with Lonza’s Synaffix and another with Oxford BioTherapeutics—in oncology. In July 2024, Boehringer Ingelheim
dropped $1.3 billion
to acquire Nerio Therapeutics and its small molecule assets that can “reshape” the immune system to target tumors.