Boehringer Ingelheim announced it has acquired Evax AG, a Swiss biotech company focused on equine health.

Founded more than a decade ago at the University of Zurich, Evax has been exploring the use of therapeutic vaccines to address significant unmet needs in horses, particularly for the treatment of allergic skin diseases.

“We’re excited to have the potential to offer horse owners the first innovative therapeutic option for allergic skin diseases targeting the underlying cause of the disease,” Saskia Kley, Global Head of Equine for Boehringer Ingelheim. “This may result in a longer duration of action, better treatment outcomes, and increased convenience and compliance.”

Allergies and dermatologic conditions in horses are common and have a significant impact on their health and well-being yet are very challenging to treat. Current options for management of these conditions are often time-consuming and provide only temporary relief (e.g., shampoos and topical treatments), while some therapies may be associated with significant safety concerns (e.g. corticosteroids). Therapeutic vaccines incorporating virus-like particles are designed to induce the horse’s immune system to produce neutralizing antibodies, treating the underlying cause of the disease.

“We’re excited to join Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, and tap their innovation, supply and commercial expertise, as we advance through the next phases of providing novel therapeutic treatment options in areas of unmet need for horses,” said Dr. Antonia Gabriel, CEO and Founder of Evax.

Boehringer Ingelheim has been pursuing therapeutic vaccines for many years, including through its collaboration with and subsequent acquisition of Saiba Animal Health in 2024.

“The acquisition of Evax advances our strategy to drive breakthrough innovation in our preventive and therapeutic portfolio,” said Knut Elbers, Head of Global Innovation, Animal Health at Boehringer Ingelheim. “Virus-like particle technology represents a truly innovative approach in animal health, with the potential to address areas of high unmet medical need, including chronic diseases in pets and allergy-related disorders in horses. Based on our research to date, we believe that this technology can play an important role in improving animal health and wellbeing.”

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.