Boehringer Ingelheim is heading out into the surf with Australia's Kinoxis Therapeutics in a $181 million biobucks deal to develop therapies for neuropsychiatric disorders.

The German pharma will work with the small Melbourne-based biotech to develop small molecule oxytocin-targeting precision psychiatry treatments, according to a Friday press release. The goal of these treatments is to target the brain oxytocin system to treat disrupted social behavior.

Boehringer Ingelheim kicked off construction on a new 285 million euro ($315 million) plant at its German headquarters that will produce active pharmaceutical ingredients and drugs for clinical trials.

Boehringer Ingelheim has opened its new advanced Biologicals Development Center (BDC) in Biberach an der Riß, Germany.

Boehringer Ingelheim has tapped RetinAI to support its attempt to develop treatments for geographic atrophy (GA), striking a deal to apply artificial intelligence tools to its imaging data in a search for novel biomarkers and predictors of disease progression.

This past week, news from Ferring, Pfizer, Novo Nordisk, and Boehringer topped the list of those with the most clicks, as well as a story about the CVS Health acquisition of Signify Health.

The most popular piece was this one about the closing of the CVS acquisition of Signify Health.

Hopes were raised around pivotal development earlier this month when Boehringer’s partner Zealand Pharma said phase 3 plans were being discussed. With mid-stage trials also completed in type 2 diabetes and Nash, this could mean a huge push for Boehringer – and a nice pay day for Zealand, which is eligible for up to €345m ($374m) in milestones and double digit royalties. 

It’s been more than a year since Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly’s Jardiance became the first drug to score approvals for the two major types of heart failure (HF), opening a huge patient population and the potential for a sales bump.

So, how’s it going so far? On Wednesday, when BI reported its full-year 2022 sales figures, the company showed more evidence of the momentum the HF indications have brought. Jardiance generated 5.8 billion euros ($6.3 billion) of sales in 2022, good for a 39% increase from 2021.

Covant Therapeutics, an innovative covalent drug discovery company, has entered into an exclusive research collaboration and worldwide licensing agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim covering Covant’s ADAR1 program. The companies jointly aim to develop a novel small molecule immunotherapy targeting ADAR1 to transform the lives of cancer patients.

In 2026—the first year Medicare’s price negotiations are set to start under the IRA—the top drugs expected to fall victim to discussions include blood thinners Eliquis from Bristol Myers Squibb and Xarelto from Johnson & Johnson. Oral diabetes drugs such as Merck's Januvia and Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly's Jardiance may also face negotiations during the first year, the journal says.