Boehringer Ingelheim buys Evax AG for equine allergy vaccines

“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. This may result in a longer duration of action, better treatment outcomes, and increased convenience and compliance,” said Saskia Kley, Global Head of Equine for Boehringer Ingelheim.

Dr. Antonia Gabriel, CEO and founder of Evax, said the company was “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.”

The acquisition extends Boehringer’s push into therapeutic vaccines. In 2024, it acquired Saiba Animal Health, a partner on earlier virus-like particle work. Knut Elbers, Head of Global Innovation, Animal Health at Boehringer, said the 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.”

The deal gives Boehringer a dedicated equine pipeline in an area where few new treatments have reached the market. Allergic skin disease in horses has no approved therapy that alters the disease course, leaving a gap the combined platform aims to fill.