Boehringer Ingelheim has licensed a preclinical antibody program from Immunitas Therapeutics, a Waltham, Massachusetts-based precision immunotherapy company, in a deal that could be worth up to EUR 407.5 million in milestone payments. Under the global licensing agreement, Boehringer acquires worldwide rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize the unnamed antibody program, which is designed to target pathogenic cells at sites of chronic inflammation. The transaction adds a preclinical-stage asset to Boehringer's immunology pipeline and provides Immunitas with a development partner capable of advancing the program into clinical trials.
Immunitas will receive an undisclosed upfront payment alongside milestone payments totaling up to EUR 407.5 million across development, regulatory, and commercial triggers, plus tiered royalties on net sales. The upfront amount was not disclosed. Further financial details are not being made public.
Deal context
The antibody program, described by Immunitas as targeting pathogenic cells localized at inflammation sites, is designed to achieve deeper and more durable disease control than agents that block individual inflammatory signals. Rather than neutralizing a single cytokine or receptor, the approach is intended to eliminate the cell subsets driving chronic inflammation — a mechanism the company says could benefit patients who respond inadequately to existing therapies.
The precise molecular target has not been disclosed in deal materials. Immunitas characterized the program as first-in-class and said it was developed using the company's single-cell genomics platform, which integrates target identification with antibody discovery. The platform itself is not part of the transaction; Boehringer is licensing the resulting antibody program only.
The asset remains at the preclinical stage. No IND filing, clinical trial identifier, or regulatory designation has been announced.