Boehringer Ingelheim acquires Saiba Animal Health, adding innovative technology platform to its pet therapeutics R&D portfolio

Boehringer Ingelheim said it has acquired Saiba Animal Health AG, a company focused on the development of novel therapeutic medicines to address chronic diseases in pets.

With the acquisition, Boehringer Ingelheim strengthens its animal health research and development (R&D) pipeline, specifically in the fast-growing pet therapeutics category. As life expectancy for pets increases, so does the need for effective treatment of debilitating diseases.

Saiba Animal Health’s innovative technology platform uses a first-of-its-kind therapeutic vaccine approach, which is designed to create an immune response, targeting chronic diseases such as allergy, inflammation and pain. The therapeutic vaccines incorporate virus-like particles to induce the animal’s immune system. They produce neutralizing antibodies against the animal’s own disease-causing proteins. This approach may result in a longer duration of action, better treatment outcomes, and increased pet owner convenience and compliance.

“Our pets live longer which creates different needs for their medical care, and often without good existing treatment options”, said Eric Haaksma, Head of Global Innovation, Animal Health at Boehringer Ingelheim. “As a research-driven company, we are very excited about the potential of Saiba Animal Health’s groundbreaking technology platform, which could result in a more specific and longer-lasting therapeutic response to chronic diseases in companion animals than current approaches.”

The acquisition follows several development and licensing collaborations between Boehringer Ingelheim and Saiba Animal Health. Those collaborations advanced multiple species-specific product candidates, based on Saiba Animal Health’s technology platform, aiming to improve the management of chronic diseases in companion animals.

Dr. Gary T. Jennings, CEO of Saiba Animal Health, said: “We are thrilled that our long-term partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim has evolved to this agreement. Joining forces will pave the way for a whole new class of therapeutic medicines for pets, with a true impact on the lives of animals and their owners.”

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Stifel acted as exclusive financial advisor to Saiba Animal Health for the transaction.

The laboratories of Saiba Animal Health AG, founded in 2013 as a spin-off from the University of Zurich, are located in the Bio-Technopark.