Boehringer Ingelheim has signed a research collaboration agreement with Combotope Therapeutics to advance tumour-selective antibody therapies targeting cancer.

The partnership will combine Combotope’s SMART-Phage discovery platform with Boehringer Ingelheim’s research and development capabilities, focusing on multiple identified oncology targets.

Combotope CEO Ola Blixt said: “At Combotope, we focus on cancer-specific glycan–protein targets that conventional antibody approaches cannot selectively address.

“By combining glycan and protein recognition, we aim to enable a new class of tumour-selective antibodies and expand the range of viable targets in oncology.

“We are excited to partner with Boehringer Ingelheim to translate this approach into potentially differentiated therapies.”

Initially, the agreement covers multiple oncology targets named by Boehringer Ingelheim, with the possibility of including additional targets in the future.

For each nominated target, Combotope will deploy its platform to generate antibodies, accompanied by a specific antibody characterisation data package.

Boehringer Ingelheim will then progress the research, as well as take responsibility for the development, manufacturing and commercialisation of any therapies resulting from the collaboration.

Combotope will be eligible for an upfront payment and additional research funding linked to each target.

The company could also receive development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments, along with royalties on net sales from any commercialised product.

Boehringer Ingelheim will hold worldwide development and commercialisation rights to therapies originating from the agreement. Specific financial details have not been disclosed.

In April 2026, Boehringer Ingelheim and Zai Lab entered a clinical collaboration to investigate a dual delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3)-targeting approach for patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) and other neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs).