Envisagenics and Boehringer Ingelheim Enter Multi-Target Collaboration to Develop First-in-Class Precision Therapies Based on RNA Splicing-Derived Targets for Hard-to-Treat Cancers

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  • Envisagenics’ AI-powered SpliceCore® platform opens up alternative RNA splicing – one of the last largely untapped sources of tumor-specific targets – for precision oncology
  • Boehringer Ingelheim may apply selected targets across multiple modalities, including antibody-drug conjugates, T-cell engagers and multispecific antibodies
  • Envisagenics is eligible to receive more than US$1 billion in potential payments, including an upfront payment, research funding, option fees and development, regulatory and commercial milestones, plus royalties on future product sales

NEW YORK, Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Envisagenics today announced a multi-year research collaboration and option agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim to validate selected tumor-specific targets for the development of first-in-class precision therapies for people living with solid tumors. Envisagenics has pioneered an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered approach that is transforming alternative RNA splicing into a new frontier for drug discovery.

Despite significant advances in cancer treatment, progress has not reached all patients equally. Many people with aggressive solid tumors still have few effective treatment options, in part because there are not enough targets that clearly distinguish cancer cells from healthy tissue. Identifying highly tumor-specific targets could create new opportunities to develop precision therapies that recognize and attack cancer cells through different mechanisms while limiting effects on healthy tissue. This could open new treatment options for cancer.

"We're proud to partner with Boehringer Ingelheim, a recognized leader in oncology with deep expertise in advancing first-in-class precision therapies," said Maria Luisa Pineda, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Envisagenics. "This collaboration validates our vision that alternative RNA splicing represents one of the richest untapped sources of novel disease-specific therapeutic targets across human disease. By combining our AI-powered SpliceCore® platform with Boehringer's oncology expertise, we can accelerate the development of highly differentiated new medicines for patients.”

The agreement supports Boehringer Ingelheim’s oncology strategy of pairing bold modalities with novel, highly tumor-selective targets sourced through long-term partnerships. The collaboration builds on targets previously identified through Envisagenics’ proprietary SpliceCore® platform and will further validate their therapeutic potential across multiple therapeutic modalities, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), T-cell engagers (TcEs) and multispecific antibodies. Upon successful completion of the research program, Boehringer Ingelheim will have the option to exclusively license selected targets for further development and commercialization.

“Growing innovation together with partners is central to how we build our oncology pipeline,” said Mark Petronczki, Global Head of Oncology Research at Boehringer Ingelheim. “Alternative RNA splicing offers access to a largely unexplored target space, and Envisagenics has built a distinctive capability to investigate it. Through this collaboration, we hope to identify highly tumor-selective targets for the development of new cancer therapies to address the needs of patients who are still waiting for better treatment options.”

Alternative RNA splicing is a fundamental biological process that expands proteomic diversity and is frequently dysregulated across human cancers. This generates tumor-specific protein isoforms – a rich source of disease-specific therapeutic targets that remain inaccessible to conventional, gene-centric discovery approaches.

Envisagenics’ proprietary SpliceCore® platform combines artificial intelligence, large-scale transcriptomics and experimental validation to identify and prioritize these targets systematically – screening more than 14 million distinct splicing events to predict disease specificity, patient prevalence and therapeutic suitability.

About Envisagenics

Envisagenics is an AI-driven biotechnology company pioneering the discovery and development of precision medicines through the power of alternative RNA splicing. Its proprietary SpliceCore® platform integrates artificial intelligence, large scale transcriptomics, and experimental validation to systematically identify and prioritize novel therapeutic targets, biomarkers, and precision medicine opportunities across human disease. Built on one of the industry's most comprehensive RNA splicing resources, encompassing more than 14 million distinct RNA splicing events, SpliceCore® enables the discovery of highly differentiated therapeutic opportunities that are inaccessible through conventional gene centric approaches.

Envisagenics is advancing a pipeline of wholly owned programs in neurodegenerative disease and oncology. Its lead program, ENV-375, is a late-stage preclinical antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In oncology, the company is developing a portfolio of first-in-class cancer-specific targets for antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), T cell engagers (TcEs), multispecific antibodies, radioligand therapies (RLTs), and other next-generation immunotherapies.

To learn more about Envisagenics and its mission to develop the next generation of precision medicines, visit www.envisagenics.com

Media Contact:

mediarelations@envisagenics.com