The German pharma’s top business development execs explain how they balance IO and targeted cancer therapy in their portfolio, views on major M&A and how to make deals during a global pandemic.

Boehringer Ingelheim intends to combine Lupin’s MEK inhibitor with its own KRAS inhibitors to target the oncogenic KRAS-RAF-MEK-ERK pathway, mutations in which drive many difficult-to-treat cancers.

Skyhawk continues its recent spate of deal-making, using its SkyStar platform in a deal with Genentech, which also is looking into neurology with Convelo. AbbVie buys STING specialist Mavupharma, while Recordati pays Novartis $390m for Cushing’s products.

By buying AMAL, Boehringer Ingelheim plans to develop new therapies by combining assets from its cancer immunology portfolio with the biotech’s KISIMA immunization platform, the German pharma’s head of cancer immunology business development tells Scrip.