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Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore has noted the announcement by Boehringer Ingelheim of a Phase IIa clinical study evaluating BI 765423, a first-in-class IL-11 inhibitor for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The programme is among prominent few preclinical discoveries from Singapore to progress into Phase II clinical evaluation, marking a significant translational milestone with the potential to impact a devastating disease with limited treatment options.
The programme emerged from a deep academic medicine collaboration between Duke-NUS and SingHealth, including the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS). The work was led by Duke-NUS scientists, including Professor Stuart A Cook and Dr Sebastian Schäfer, whose research underpinned the formation of Enleofen Bio, a SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre spin-off company established to advance IL-11-targeted antibody therapeutics, before the asset was acquired for further global development by Boehringer Ingelheim.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis remains a progressive and life-limiting disease with limited treatment options. Advances in understanding fibrotic mechanisms, including the role of IL-11, have opened new avenues for therapeutic development across fibrotic conditions.
