Boehringer Ingelheim, Evotec and bioMérieux launch Aurobac, a joint venture to fight Antimicrobial Resistance

Rhea-AI Summary

Boehringer Ingelheim, Evotec, and bioMérieux have formed a joint venture named Aurobac Therapeutics SAS to combat Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). Funded by Boehringer with 30 million EUR and 5 million EUR each from Evotec and bioMérieux, the venture aims to develop new antimicrobials and diagnostics. AMR poses a significant global health threat, with antibiotic-resistant infections causing around 1.27 million deaths annually. Aurobac seeks to implement precision medicine approaches and new economic models to enhance treatment strategies.

Positive

• Formation of Aurobac Therapeutics SAS to develop next-gen antimicrobials.
• Joint venture funded with a total of 40 million EUR, enhancing R&D capabilities.
• Combines expertise from three leading companies in biopharmaceuticals and diagnostics.

Negative

• None.

INGELHEIM, Germany & HAMBURG, Germany & MARCY-L’ÉTOILE, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Boehringer Ingelheim, a leading research-driven biopharmaceutical company, the life science company Evotec SE (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EVT, MDAX/TecDAX, ISIN: DE0005664809; NASDAQ: EVO) and bioMérieux, a world leader in in vitro diagnostics, announced today that they have formed a joint venture to create the next generation of antimicrobials along with actionable diagnostics to fight Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

The resulting company, Aurobac Therapeutics SAS, will combine the best capabilities of the three founding companies towards developing a new precision medicine approach, from diagnosis to cure. The aspiration is to succeed in the fight against AMR, which is a major public health threat. Having routine surgery such as caesarean sections or hip replacements may become life threatening, and complications from common diseases such as diabetes and injuries or cuts will become harder to manage because of growing resistance to antibiotics in patients.

“The rise of antibiotic-resistant infections – also called antimicrobial resistance, or AMR – is indeed a looming global crisis,” said Michel Pairet, Head of Boehringer Ingelheim’s Innovation Unit and Member of the Board of Managing Directors. “Antibiotic resistance kills about 1.27 million people globally every year¹ and it has been estimated that by 2050, as many as 10 million worldwide deaths could result from AMR², making it potentially deadlier than cancer.”

Werner Lanthaler, CEO of Evotec added: “The grim prospect of a post-antibiotic era has many causes but only one solution: The development of new, targeted, and effective antimicrobial therapies. We are excited to launch Aurobac together with our partners at Boehringer Ingelheim and bioMérieux, to combine our complementary strengths. By leveraging Evotec’s multimodality approach to infectious diseases, we are confident that Aurobac will be able to generate much-needed progress to tackle the global challenge of AMR.”

“bioMérieux has a strong expertise in antimicrobial resistance. We supply the most comprehensive integrated diagnostic solutions to support an appropriate use of antibiotics (antimicrobial stewardship),” said Alexandre Mérieux, bioMérieux Chairman and CEO. “Our role within the joint venture is to develop and commercialize diagnostic tests, including Companion Diagnostics, which deliver rapid, reliable and actionable results. This participation in Aurobac is perfectly aligned with bioMérieux’ full commitment to sustain antibiotic efficacy for future generations.”

Aurobac will work to shift the strategy related to antibiotic treatment regimens which at the moment leans heavily on empirical approaches using broad-spectrum and unfocused medicines. The goal is to turn this into a precision approach, using new highly effective and targeted modalities, combined with rapid and actionable diagnostics to quickly identify pathogens and their resistance patterns, and supported by new economic models.

Funded by Boehringer Ingelheim as lead investor with 30 million EUR and by Evotec and bioMérieux with 5 million EUR each, the 40 million EUR joint venture, which has its headquarters in Lyon (France), combines the world leading expertise of Evotec, one of the most active research companies in infectious diseases, with bioMérieux’s market-leading expertise in infectious disease diagnostics and with Boehringer Ingelheim’s broad drug discovery and significant clinical development capabilities.

Three partners committed to combat AMR

Boehringer Ingelheim’s participation in Aurobac is part of a wider so-called pandemic preparedness initiative, which includes a 50 million EUR investment in the AMR action fund by Boehringer Ingelheim. Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund has committed to invest up to 12 million EUR in AMR infection companies.

bioMérieux has over 55 years of diagnostics expertise with more than 75 percent of its research and development budget focused on antimicrobial resistance. Moreover, 80 percent of its turnover is related to the fight against AMR through a complete diagnostic solution facilitating antibiotic therapy decision-making, including antibiotic initiation, optimization, and discontinuation.

Evotec has built a world-leading platform to tackle infectious diseases. With a more than 200-strong anti-infective discovery team, the company has proven experience on multiple agent classes. On top of the company’s own pre-competitive pandemic preparedness and rapid response technology platform (“PRROTECT”), Evotec leverages its infectious disease capabilities with many industry, academic and non-profit partners and is active in a variety of networks such as the AMR Accelerator that is part of the EU’s Innovative Medicines Initiative (“IMI”).

References
¹ https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02724-0/fulltext#seccestitle10
² https://amr-review.org/sites/default/files/AMR%20Review%20Paper%20-%20Tackling%20a%20crisis%20for%20the%20health%20and%20wealth%20of%20nations_1.pdf

Please click on the following link for ‘Notes to Editors’ and ‘References’:

https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/media-overview/press-releases/joint-venture-fight-antimicrobial-resistance

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220705005880/en/

Boehringer Ingelheim

Corporate Affairs

Harro Ten Wolde

55216 Ingelheim

Phone: +49 151 61901069

Email: press@boehringer-ingelheim.com

Source: Boehringer Ingelheim

FAQ

What is the purpose of the joint venture Aurobac Therapeutics SAS formed by Evotec?

The joint venture aims to develop next-generation antimicrobials and diagnostics to tackle Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

How much funding has been allocated to Aurobac Therapeutics SAS?

Aurobac Therapeutics SAS has been funded with a total of 40 million EUR, including 30 million EUR from Boehringer Ingelheim and 5 million EUR each from Evotec and bioMérieux.

Why is Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) a concern?

AMR is a major public health threat, causing approximately 1.27 million deaths globally each year and potentially leading to 10 million deaths annually by 2050 if not addressed.

What roles do the partners play in Aurobac Therapeutics SAS?

Boehringer Ingelheim leads the venture; Evotec contributes expertise in drug discovery; bioMérieux focuses on developing diagnostic solutions.

What impact does Aurobac aim to have on antibiotic treatment?

Aurobac seeks to shift antibiotic treatment from broad-spectrum approaches to precision medicine, utilizing targeted therapies and rapid diagnostics.