Chang Gung Medical Foundation and Boehringer Ingelheim Taiwan Ltd recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for clinical trial collaboration, aiming to enhance medical research and accelerate the discovery of tailored treatment strategies.

Chang Gung's commitment to a "patient-centric" approach, coupled with an annual investment of nearly NT$4 billion in research, underscores the Foundation's focus on clinical and basic medical research. Boehringer Ingelheim, with a track record of breakthroughs in new drug development, brings valuable expertise to the collaboration.

The collaboration will leverage Chang Gung's clinical trial capabilities, with an average of over 800 mid-stage trials per year, and Boehringer Ingelheim's innovative drug development initiatives. The aim is to address unmet medical needs, particularly in areas such as extensive-stage small cell lung cancer and neuroendocrine tumours.

James Chiou (邱建誌), General Manager of Boehringer Ingelheim, highlighted the company's achievements, which will benefit 30 million patients by 2022 alone. The collaboration aims to capitalise on Chang Gung's medical capabilities and research teams, maximising innovative potential to accelerate drug development.

The focus on diseases such as extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, with a dismal five-year survival rate of less than 5%, and neuroendocrine tumours, for which there are no effective treatments, underscores the urgency for innovative solutions. Clinical trials provide a scientific avenue to explore new therapeutic avenues for these challenging diseases.

In summary, the collaboration between Chang Gung and Boehringer Ingelheim aligns the Foundation's patient-centred ethos with Boehringer Ingelheim's innovative drug development initiatives. The partnership aims to accelerate the discovery of treatment strategies, with a particular focus on diseases with limited therapeutic options, poor treatment efficacy, drug resistance or no treatment options.