After two years of good experience, Danish contract research organization (CRO) Gubra signs another collaboration deal with German drug group Boehringer Ingelheim.

According to the new agreement, Gubra may receive up to EUR 240 million (USD 268.6 million) in upfront- and milestone payments as the development and commercialization proceeds.

The vale thus resembles that of the deal Gubra and Boehringer signed in 2017.

CEO in Gubra, Henrik Blou, says that the new agreement is a result of the experiences the companies gained from the first collaboration.

"Our first collaboration proved that the strengths of both companies supplement each other in a good way. By joining forces in the new development program, we give it the potential to take treatment of obesity to a whole new level, for the benefit of patients all over the world," he says to MedWatch.

Like the deal from 2017, the new collaboration will also focus on peptide development to treat obesity - but this time with novel and more advanced peptides reacting to more receptors in the body.

To Gubra, the agreement gives more than a positive impact on the bottom line.

"It also gives us the opportunity to build up a lot of structure and competences, which we can use to further expand our business," says Blou, adding:

"It's safe to say that each of such a collaboration is a transforming step for Gubra."

Corporate Senior Vice President of Discovery Research at Boehringer Ingelheim, Clive R. Wood, also looks forward to more cooperation with the Gubra team.

"I anticipate that these programs will help us bring much needed new treatment options for obesity patients," he says in a press release.

English Edit: Ida Løjmand

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