Boehringer Ingelheim acquired an exclusive global license to a preclinical small molecule inhibitor program from Sitryx Therapeutics.

The licensed program, developed by Sitryx, is described as a novel, oral, potentially disease-modifying treatment approach across multiple autoimmune and inflammatory disease indications.¹

The deal comes as the global burden of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases continues to rise, with millions of patients unable to achieve sustainable disease control on existing therapies, underscoring the need for new mechanisms targeting disease-driving pathways.

“Autoimmune and inflammatory diseases remain areas where innovation is urgently needed. Sitryx’s small molecule inhibitor program brings forward a promising new mechanism that aligns with our focus on advancing first-in-class approaches. Together with Sitryx, we are committed to translating this science into therapies that can meaningfully improve patients’ lives,” said Carine Boustany, head of immunology and respiratory diseases research at Boehringer Ingelheim.

“This collaboration is a major milestone for our company and is a clear validation of the strength of our pipeline and our expertise translating immunometabolic targets into meaningful therapeutic candidates,” said Iain Kilty, chief executive officer of Sitryx. “We are proud to out-license this preclinical program to Boehringer Ingelheim whose global capabilities in immunology and drug development will help position this program to deliver meaningful benefits to patients worldwide.”

Sitryx, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing oral therapies to restore immune balance, continues to advance its broader pipeline. Its lead candidate, SYX-5219, is a potentially first-in-class oral pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) modulator in development for atopic dermatitis.

A recently completed Phase Ia trial in healthy volunteers in the UK showed SYX-5219 was safe and well tolerated, with predictable pharmacokinetics and robust target engagement, as well as a dose-dependent reduction in CCL17/thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) levels.²

A Phase Ib trial in adults with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis has commenced in the United States and Europe, with data expected by year end. A KLH antigen-challenge study in healthy volunteers is also underway to assess early immune response signals.²

“A daily oral treatment to rebalance immune function and deliver durable disease remission would be transformative for the treatment of atopic dermatitis. Our latest clinical data for SYX-5219, particularly the strong reduction in the highly disease-relevant Type 2 inflammation biomarker TARC, give us further confidence in the candidate’s differentiated profile. We look forward to the progression of our Phase 1b trial, which is expected to show the first evidence of SYX-5219’s mechanistic and clinical activity in patients and guide the next stages of development,” said Ravi Rao, chief medical officer of Sitryx.

What are the details of the license agreement?

Under the agreement, Sitryx grants Boehringer exclusive rights to multiple candidates and associated intellectual property within the program, while Boehringer assumes full responsibility for further research, clinical development and commercialization.

Sitryx will receive upfront and near-term payments and is eligible for potential development, regulatory and commercialization milestone payments totaling more than $500 million, in addition to tiered royalties on future sales.¹

Sources

1. Boehringer Ingelheim licenses novel oral therapeutics program for immune diseases from Sitryx Therapeutics Boehringer Ingelheim February 26, 2026 https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/science-innovation/human-health-innovation/boehringer-gains-exclusive-license-novel-immune-therapies
2. Sitryx advances development of PKM2 modulator SYX-5219 into atopic dermatitis patients following clinical evidence of immunomodulatory activity Sitryx Therapetuics January 26, 2026 https://www.sitryx.com/news/sitryx-advances-development-of-pkm2-modulator-syx-5219-into-atopic-dermatitis-patients-following-clinical-evidence-of-immunomodulatory-activity