
The Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) has entered a research collaboration with pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim, focusing on HER2 mutations in lung cancer.
The $2.25m initiative includes two funding mechanisms, the LCRF | Boehringer Ingelheim Team Science Award and the Early Career Investigator Award.
The funding is focused on understanding and treating lung cancers with HER2 mutations.
The LCRF | Boehringer Ingelheim Team Science Award will allocate $1.5m over three years to a research team.
The team will work on integrated projects that explore the role of HER2 mutations as oncogenic drivers and develop new therapeutic strategies for HER2-mutant tumours.
In addition, the Early Career Investigator Award will provide $750,000 for up to three awards, each worth $250,000 over two years.
The awards will support early-career researchers focusing on innovative treatments for HER2-driven lung cancer.
Boehringer Ingelheim US Vice President, Clinical Development and Medical Affairs Bjoern Rueter said: “We believe that supporting scientists to pursue their curiosity is key to driving meaningful progress and innovation, and that collaboration is essential to bringing groundbreaking treatments to patients.
“We are excited to join forces with Lung Cancer Research Foundation as we embark on a new era for cancer research and create the Team Science and Early Career Investigator awards.”
According to LCRF, HER2 mutations are part of the HER family of tyrosine kinases and are identified in up to 4% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases.
Despite advancements in targeting oncogenic drivers like EGFR, treatments for HER2 mutations have been less successful.
Understanding the biology and resistance mechanisms of HER2-mutated lung cancer is crucial for developing effective treatments.
Boehringer Ingelheim and LCRF’s collaborative approach is expected to yield impactful results for patients.
By funding early-career investigators, the two organisations aim to sustain the research needed for scientific breakthroughs in treating HER2-mutant lung cancers.
LCRF Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Antoinette Wozniak said: “Delivering impact to patients is what drives LCRF’s research programme.
“Research collaborations like this will accelerate the pace of scientific discovery moving forward. Our shared commitment to improving outcomes for people living with lung cancer continues to provide hope.”
Recently, Boehringer Ingelheim has expanded its existing partnership with Echosens to focus on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).