Boehringer Ingelheim acquires Saiba Animal Health, adding innovative technology platform to its pet therapeutics R&D portfolio
September 03 2024 - 3:00AM
INGELHEIM, Germany, September 03, 2024 –
Boehringer Ingelheim today said it has acquired Saiba Animal Health
AG, a company focused on the development of novel therapeutic
medicines to address chronic diseases in pets.
With the acquisition, Boehringer Ingelheim strengthens its
animal health research and development (R&D) pipeline,
specifically in the fast-growing pet therapeutics category.As life
expectancy for pets increases, so does the need for effective
treatment of debilitating diseases.
Saiba Animal Health’s innovative technology platform uses a
first-of-its-kind therapeutic vaccine approach, which is designed
to create an immune response, targeting chronic diseases such as
allergy, inflammation and pain. The therapeutic vaccines
incorporate virus-like particles to induce the animal’s immune
system. They produce neutralizing antibodies against the animal’s
own disease-causing proteins. This approach may result in a longer
duration of action, better treatment outcomes, and increased pet
owner convenience and compliance.
“Our pets live longer which creates different needs for their
medical care, and often without good existing treatment options”,
said Eric Haaksma, Head of Global Innovation, Animal Health at
Boehringer Ingelheim. “As a research-driven company, we are very
excited about the potential of Saiba Animal Health’s groundbreaking
technology platform, which could result in a more specific and
longer-lasting therapeutic response to chronic diseases in
companion animals than current approaches.”
The acquisition follows several development and licensing
collaborations between Boehringer Ingelheim and Saiba Animal
Health. Those collaborations advanced multiple species-specific
product candidates, based on Saiba Animal Health’s technology
platform, aiming to improve the management of chronic diseases in
companion animals.
Dr. Gary T. Jennings, CEO of Saiba Animal Health, said: “We are
thrilled that our long-term partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim
has evolved to this agreement. Joining forces will pave the way for
a whole new class of therapeutic medicines for pets, with a true
impact on the lives of animals and their owners.”
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Stifel acted as
exclusive financial advisor to Saiba Animal Health for the
transaction.
Boehringer IngelheimBoehringer Ingelheim is a
biopharmaceutical company active in both human and animal health.
As one of the industry’s top investors in Research and Development,
the company focuses on developing innovative therapies in areas of
high unmet medical need. Independent since its foundation in 1885,
Boehringer takes a long-term perspective, embedding sustainability
along the entire value chain. More than 53,500 employees serve over
130 markets to build a healthier, more sustainable, and equitable
tomorrow. Learn more at www.boehringer-ingelheim.com.
Saiba Animal HealthSaiba Animal Health AG,
founded in 2013 as a spin-off from the University of Zurich,
Switzerland, has developed a broad and innovative pipeline of
Virus-Like Particles (VLP)-based therapeutic vaccines targeting
major unmet medical needs in veterinary medicine.