Pharma BD Deal Intelligence

AbbVie Inc. / Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH

2016 · Licensing/Option · $2.2B · Complete

CALLED IT — OFF BY 7

A $595M license payment turned into a $17.5B/year blockbuster that is single-handedly replacing Humira — arguably the best-returning deal in AbbVie's history.

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The coverage arc

Mar 07, 2016 FierceBiotech Bullish

AbbVie handed over $595 million upfront for a Phase 3 anti-IL-23 with PASI 90 of 69% at week 36 versus 30% for ustekinumab — a clear bid to build a Humira…

Mar 08, 2016 European Pharmaceutical Review Neutral

AbbVie gained sole commercialization lead on a phase 3 IL-23 inhibitor plus rights to an anti-CD40 antibody, with Boehringer retaining co-promote rights in…

Apr 23, 2019 BioPharma Dive Bullish

Skyrizi's FDA approval validated AbbVie's 2016 bet, with roughly 80% of phase 3 patients hitting PASI 90 — but the launch faced entrenched competition from…

Source summaries from our enrichment pipeline; follow links for originals.

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AbbVie and Boehringer Ingelheim entered a global immunology collaboration. AbbVie paid $595M upfront plus up to $1.6B in milestones for license to BI 655066 (risankizumab), an anti-IL-23 antibody in Phase 3 for psoriasis, plus rights to anti-CD40 antibody BI 655064. AbbVie became sole commercialization lead, with BI retaining co-promote option in asthma. Risankizumab approved as Skyrizi in 2019.

Did it work? Outcome assessment

A $595M license payment turned into a $17.5B/year blockbuster that is single-handedly replacing Humira — arguably the best-returning deal in AbbVie's history.

Strategic verdict
Achieved Stated Rationale

Key facts

Related deals — scored

DealYearValueOutcome
AbbVie Inc. / Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH (this deal)2016$2.2B95
AbbVie Inc. / Genmab A/S2020$3.9B81
AbbVie Inc. / Pharmacyclics Inc.2015$21.0B79
AbbVie Inc. / Apogee Therapeutics, Inc.2026$10.9B72
AbbVie Inc. / ImmunoGen Inc.2023$10.1B69
AbbVie Inc. / Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals Inc.2024$2.0B64
AbbVie Inc. / MedinCell S.A.2024$1.9B61

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