Gilead, Boehringer Ingelheim ink license agreement

FOSTER CITY, Calif., and INGELHEIM, Germany — Gilead Sciences has signed an agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim to gain exclusive worldwide rights to research, develop and commercialize BI's novel anti-retroviral compounds.

Under the terms of the agreement, Gilead will pay the German drug maker an upfront payment and possibly will receive additional payments based upon the achievement of certain development, regulatory and commercial milestones, as well as royalties on future net sales, the companies said.

The class of compounds, known as noncatalytic site integrase inhibitors (NCINIs), target the key component of the HIV virus responsible for incorporation of the viral DNA into the human genome, Gilead and BI said.

"We are very pleased to have established this licensing agreement. The Boehringer Ingelheim compounds complement our internal discovery programs and the efforts are aligned with our commitment to continue to innovate in the field of HIV," Gilead EVP research and development and chief scientific officer Norbert Bischofberger said. "We are looking forward to progressing BI 224436 or other compounds further into clinical development."

Interested in this topic? Sign up for our weekly Retail Health Provider e-newsletter.