BioMed X and Boehringer Ingelheim have expanded their XSeed Labs collaboration with the launch of a new research team focused on next-generation eye therapies.
The team will be based at Boehringer Ingelheim’s US research and development headquarters in Ridgefield, Connecticut, where XSeed Labs operates as an innovation incubator embedded within the company’s campus.
The new group, called Team NIB (New Platform for Next-Generation Intraocular Biologics), will work on developing a human organotypic in vitro platform to support the development and validation of future intraocular biologics. The initiative is intended to create more predictive, human-relevant models for drug discovery in eye health.
The team will be led by Dr. Deniz Ugurlu Cimen, a molecular and cell biologist specializing in stem cell-based disease modelling and the winner of a BioMed X boot camp. Her work combines stem cell engineering, functional genomics and advanced 3D human model systems, with the aim of translating biological insights into scalable platforms for therapeutic development.
Boehringer said the project supports its growing focus on eye health, including efforts to address vision-threatening diseases and explore biologics that could preserve or improve sight. Retinal diseases remain a major cause of irreversible vision loss worldwide, and many patients continue to have limited or no treatment options.
“By building more predictive human-based models, the collaboration aims to enhance translational success and help bring innovative therapies to patients faster,” said Remko Bakker, global head of eye health and Research Beyond Borders at Boehringer Ingelheim.
Dr. Ugurlu Cimen said progress in intraocular therapeutics depends on models capable of meaningfully testing new drug designs. She explained that the team is building a human in vitro eye model designed to capture key physiological features and improve the predictive power of therapeutic discovery.
Nazzareno Dimasi, global head of biotherapeutics discovery at Boehringer Ingelheim, noted that the collaboration combines Boehringer’s biologics expertise with BioMed X’s innovation model to advance new approaches in drug discovery. “At Boehringer Ingelheim, we connect people and science to research some of today’s most pressing health challenges,” said Dimasi.
Mark Johnston, chief executive of BioMed X USA, said the expansion comes two years after the first research team was unveiled at Boehringer’s Ridgefield site. He added, “This extended collaboration is proof that installing our BioMed X model within the campus of a major pharmaceutical company can indeed add value to their internal R&D."
Source: Biotech Newswire.
