Boehringer signs up to use Genedata biologics R&D data platform

Boehringer Ingelheim has deepened its ties with Genedata. The expansion of the relationship sees the German drugmaker choose Genedata Selector as the computational platform for its genomics-based cell line development and cell culture optimization, as well as commit to a long-term collaboration.

Genedata first unveiled Boehringer as a customer a little more than one year ago, at which time its  biologics R&D workflow and data management platform was the focus of the relationship. Now, the companies are broadening the scope of their alliance. Boehringer has signed up to use Genedata Selector across its global operation, giving its teams access to a tool that Genedata has designed to help geographically dispersed research groups manage host cell line design, clone validation and other tasks.

Boehringer is impressed by the Genedata platform and its ability to support the incorporation of omics-based methods into cell line development and cell culture optimization. "To optimally handle the complex data, we need a centralized genome knowledge management and analysis solution that addresses the interdisciplinary challenges in next-generation biotechnology innovations," Harald Bradl, director of cell culture and process sciences at Boehringer, said in a statement. "Genedata Selector was our obvious choice."

As part of the expansion of the relationship, Boehringer has also signed up to source bioinformatics consulting services from Genedata and entered into a "long-term strategic collaboration." Getting Boehringer to commit to the larger agreement represents another coup for Genedata, which has struck a string of deals over the past year. Since unveiling the first deal with Boehringer in February 2015, Genedata has signed up Merck Serono and Bayer, which are respectively using the company's Biologics and Profiler tools.

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