• Many pathogens may inhibit or modulate their host’s immune system and thus circumvent immune defense
• Immune system activating therapies may open transformative opportunities for infectious disease treatment

Boehringer Ingelheim and Tsinghua University in Beijing announced on 9/4/18 a collaboration aiming to research and develop immunological therapies for infectious diseases. Scientists will work in the Boehringer Ingelheim-Tsinghua University Joint Research Center for Immuno-Infection to harness the mechanisms of immune modulation to combat infectious diseases. The collaboration brings together the leading expertise of Tsinghua University in infectious disease research and immunology with Boehringer Ingelheim’s experience in the development of novel therapies for patients suffering from diseases with high unmet medical need and its comprehensive research and development programs in cancer immunology and immune modulation.

Infectious diseases such as lower respiratory tract infections (e.g. bacterial/viral pneumonia) and tuberculosis are amongst the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. In China, chronic hepatitis B and tuberculosis are of high prevalence and associated with high mortality. Although pathogen-directed treatments and vaccinations have greatly reduced the impact of infectious diseases in past decades, they continue to be a major challenge for health. Increasing levels of resistance threaten the effectiveness of many anti-microbial drugs. Many treatments fail to achieve cure, resulting in large numbers of patients at risk due to long-term persistent infections.

Similar to cancer, many pathogens may inhibit or modulate their host’s immune system and thus circumvent immune defense. Immune system activating therapies, which have brought a major therapeutic breakthrough in cancer may open similar transformative opportunities for infectious disease treatment.

“The joint scientific hub gives our scientists the opportunity to work hand in hand with the outstanding scientists from Tsinghua University to discover novel treatment approaches in the field of immunology and infectious diseases,” explains Clive R. Wood, Ph.D. Senior Corporate Vice President, Discovery Research at Boehringer Ingelheim. “This partnership has the potential to open new approaches for currently untreatable infectious diseases.”