AstraZeneca Partners with Absci in $247M Deal to Develop AI-Designed Antibody Targeting 'Undruggable' Oncology Targets

▎WuXi

Edited by Kant Content Team

AbSci Announces Up to $247 Million Collaboration with AstraZeneca to Develop AI-Designed Antibody Targeting OncologyThis collaboration combines Absci's Integrated Drug Creation platform with AstraZeneca's expertise in oncology, aiming to accelerate the discovery of potential new cancer treatment candidates.

AbSci's integrated drug creation platform combines generative AI with a scalable set of laboratory technologies. The platform generates proprietary data by measuring millions of protein-protein interactions.These data are used to train Absci's proprietary AI models and validate antibodies designed using new artificial intelligence models in later iterations.The platform accelerates drug discovery by completing data collection, AI-driven design, and laboratory validation in approximately six weeks.It aims to increase the likelihood of successful development of drug candidates by simultaneously optimizing multiple drug attributes and expanding the range of drug targets to include those previously considered "undruggable" (such as GPCRs and ion channels).

▲Pipeline of Absci (Image Source: Absci Official Website)

According to the agreement, Absci will contribute its innovative generative artificial intelligence technology to develop therapeutic candidate antibodies for specific oncology targets in the collaboration. The agreement includes upfront payments, research and development funding, and milestone payments, with a total amount of up to $247 million.

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References:

[1] Absci Announces Collaboration with AstraZeneca toAdvance AI-Driven Oncology Candidate. Retrieved December 4, 2023 from https://investors.absci.com/news-releases/news-release-details/absci-announces-collaboration-astrazeneca-advance-ai-driven

[2] AstraZeneca inks $247M deal with generative AI shop Absci to developantibody drug for cancer. Retrieved December 4, 2023 from https://endpts.com/astrazeneca-inks-247m-deal-with-generative-ai-shop-absci-to-develop-antibody-drug-for-cancer/

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