Eli Lilly, Boehringer Collaborate For Metastatic Breast Cancer

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) announced a clinical trial collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim under which the safety and tolerability of Eli Lilly’s abemaciclib will be evaluated in combination with Boehringer’s BI 836845 in a phase Ib study for the treatment of patients with hormone-receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HR+, HER2-) metastatic breast cancer (mBC).

The deal assumes that these two agents, in combination, could offer a more complete pathway interference and could potentially prolong cell cycle arrest. For HR+, HER2- mBC patients, this could mean a reversal of resistance to hormone therapy.

We note that abemaciclib is a CDK 4 and CDK 6 inhibitor while BI 836845 is an IGF-1/IGF-2 ligand neutralizing antibody.

The study, which will be sponsored by Boehringer, is expected to begin enrollment in late 2016. On the basis of phase Ib study results, the collaboration could well expand to include phase II studies in patients with HR+, HER2- mBC and other solid tumors.

We note that abemaciclib enjoys Breakthrough Therapy status in the U.S. for the treatment of advanced or metastatic breast cancer. Per the companies’ press release, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women across the world and about 246,600 women are expected to be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer resulting in approximately 40,450 deaths in the U.S. this year. Of all early stage breast cancer cases diagnosed in the U.S., approximately 30% are expected to become metastatic.

In addition to ongoing studies (MONARCH) currently evaluating abemaciclib for breast cancer, a phase III study on abemaciclib for the treatment of lung cancer is in progress.

This is not the first time that these two companies have come together. We remind investors that Eli Lilly and Boehringer have a global agreement for the development and commercialization of a portfolio of diabetes compounds.

Eli Lilly is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock. Some better-ranked stocks in the health care sector include Innoviva, Inc. (NASDAQ:INVA) , Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) . While Innoviva sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Abbott and Johnson & Johnson carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).