2 November 2026
Identifying and developing obesity therapies that induce weight loss through mechanisms beyond appetite suppression remains a major unmet need. Although GLP-1-based therapies have demonstrated substantial clinical efficacy, their use is frequently associated with gastrointestinal adverse effects, including nausea and vomiting.
Peripheral metabolic organs account for the majority of whole-body energy expenditure and may offer promising opportunities to increase energy utilization or promote energy excretion. Skeletal muscle, liver, and kidney are examples of organ systems with substantial yet still under-exploited potential to generate a clinically meaningful energy deficit.
Through this opnMe call, we invite experts from academia, startups, biotech companies, and established pharmaceutical organizations to submit non-confidential collaboration proposals addressing the following question:
How does your pharmacological program create a clinically meaningful negative energy balance through peripheral mechanisms in the context of obesity?
We particularly welcome validated drug discovery projects or therapeutic programs targeting skeletal muscle, liver, kidney, or other peripheral mechanisms with comparable potential. Eligible modalities include small molecules, biologics, peptides, siRNA-based approaches, and emerging modalities. Proposals should demonstrate an on-target effect and provide efficacy data from translationally relevant preclinical models, including in vivo proof of concept in one or more obesity-relevant models.
Selected proposals will have the opportunity to collaborate directly with Boehringer Ingelheim's Cardiorenal Metabolic Diseases Research teams. Successful applicants may receive tailored and scalable funding packages to advance their programs toward the next preclinical decision point or a milestone toward clinical readiness. Depending on program maturity and intellectual property considerations, additional business collaboration or licensing opportunities may also be explored.
Submit your collaboration proposal now! Proposals will only be accepted if received by December 16, 2026, 11:59 pm PST.
No registration required
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About our opn2EXPERTS question:
How does your pharmacological program create a clinically meaningful negative energy balance through peripheral mechanisms in the context of obesity?
With ambitious questions such as this, we share precisely formulated scientific challenges with the research community through our opn2EXPERTS program. Together with selected teams, we aim to explore innovative therapeutic programs that harness peripheral mechanisms to increase energy expenditure or energy excretion and support meaningful body weight loss.
About opnMe:
opnMe.com, the open science portal of Boehringer Ingelheim, fosters science and collaboration initiatives in areas of high unmet medical need. Our molecules are provided to the scientific community either free of charge as “Molecules to Order” or applied for via scientific research submissions as “Molecules for Collaboration”. With our “opn2EXPERTS” and “techMATCH” calls, we enlist scientific advice on key scientific topics to fuel further drug discovery and deliver novel solutions that benefit unmet patient needs. Our "opn2TALENTS" postdoc grants at one of our research sites offer opportunities for high-level talents to propose innovative approaches for precisely defined scientific questions.