XtalPi and Singleron Biotech Partner to Develop Novel Targeted Therapies for Asian-Prevalent Cancers

VCBeat has learned that XtalPi, an AI-driven drug R&D company leveraging digitalization and intelligence to propel pharmaceutical innovation, and Singleron Biotechnologies, a high-throughput single-cell sequencing technology firm, have announced a strategic partnership. The two parties will combine their respective platform advantages in target screening and novel drug discovery to jointly develop new drugs targeting potential biomarkers for several tumor types prevalent in Asian populations, thereby providing next-generation innovative therapies for molecularly targeted cancer treatment.

The most common malignant tumors in Asian populations include various gastrointestinal cancers such as esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer, which are generally characterized by diagnostic challenges and low rates of early detection. In recent years, alongside traditional treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, targeted cancer therapy has emerged as a major research focus; however, the range of available drugs and therapeutic targets remains very limited, leaving patients’ treatment needs far from adequately met.

In this collaboration, Singleron will leverage its single-cell sequencing data platform and target screening platform to evaluate and recommend potential targets for tumors prevalent among Asian populations. XtalPi’s AI R&D Center will then undertake new drug discovery and design, recommending preclinical candidate compounds, followed by joint experimental validation and optimization of drug activity and efficacy by both parties. The collaboration will pursue multiple research avenues in parallel to validate potential targets and discover new drugs, thereby enhancing the success rate and efficiency of targeted drug development, reducing costs and risks, accelerating the identification of preclinical candidates for novel targets, and bringing more personalized treatment options to cancer patients.

A major efficiency bottleneck in targeted drug development lies in the discovery and validation of novel targets. Leveraging its proprietary single-cell sequencing platform, GEXSCOPE®, and its SynEcoSys™ database, Singleron Biotechnologies cost-effectively and efficiently constructs proprietary clinical sample datasets for specific tumors. By integrating precise detection, annotation, characterization, and in-depth data mining of cancer cells with necessary experimental validation, Singleron’s SingleTron™ target screening algorithm identifies high-confidence novel targets and ranks them by priority. Singleron’s drug target screening platform has already been applied to target identification and drug repurposing in other cancer types. Capitalizing on its technological advantages in high-throughput functional drug screening, Singleron is helping more pharmaceutical companies accelerate the acquisition of preclinical drug candidates at a lower cost.

Targeting novel cancer therapy targets selected by Singleron, XtalPi will leverage its AI-driven intelligent drug discovery platform to generate a drug-like chemical space comprising millions to tens of millions of molecules. Subsequently, physics-based and AI models will be employed to perform layered prediction and screening of key molecular properties, ultimately yielding a small number of candidate compounds with ideal activity, selectivity, and other critical physicochemical properties for experimental validation. Currently, XtalPi’s intelligent drug discovery platform has supported the discovery of over 30 new drug molecules, with the most advanced project having entered preclinical studies. Based on existing collaboration data, XtalPi’s AI drug discovery platform can shorten the timeline from target identification to preclinical research by several months to one year, reducing experimental requirements by up to 90%.

Co-founder of XtalPi and Head of the Xtal AI R&D Center

Dr. Li Lipeng

Dr. Li Lipeng, Co-founder of XtalPi and Head of the XtalPi AI R&D Center, stated, “By collaborating with upstream partners like Singleron, which possess target discovery capabilities, we aim to effectively bridge the link between target discovery and drug design. This will further unlock the potential of AI, accelerate the enrichment of our innovative drug pipeline, and enhance cost-efficiency in the development of targeted therapies. We hope this collaboration will provide a broader range of first- and second-line treatment options for common malignant tumors, delivering targeted and competitive cancer-specific drugs to patients worldwide.”

Founder and CEO of Singleron

Dr. Fang Nan

Dr. Fang Nan, Founder and CEO of Singleron, stated, “Personalized diagnosis and treatment of cancer represent the future trend. Singleron is committed to leveraging its proprietary high-throughput single-cell sequencing platform to facilitate precise drug target screening and efficient validation. We look forward to this strategic partnership with XtalPi, where we will fully capitalize on our respective technological strengths. By integrating advanced single-cell sequencing technologies with AI-driven drug discovery algorithms, we aim to accelerate the development of targeted therapies for cancer types prevalent among Asian populations from multiple dimensions. We also anticipate that this collaboration will yield substantial outcomes, bringing new solutions to oncology treatment.”

About XtalPi

XtalPi is a technology-driven drug R&D company that leverages cutting-edge computational physics, quantum chemistry, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing to provide intelligent drug discovery solutions for innovative pharmaceutical companies worldwide. By enhancing the efficiency and success rate of critical stages in drug development and reducing R&D costs, we aim to deliver more high-quality therapies to patients.

XtalPi was founded on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), with its core team comprising top talents from academia, the IT and internet sectors, and the pharmaceutical industry. Headquartered in Shenzhen, the company has branches in Beijing, Boston, and Shanghai. Since its establishment, XtalPi has successfully provided drug R&D services to more than 70 pioneering pharmaceutical companies from the United States, Europe, China, and Japan.

Singleron Biotechnologies, founded in Nanjing in 2018, is dedicated to the development and clinical application of high-throughput single-cell sequencing products. It provides users with a one-stop, comprehensive product platform for single-cell sequencing solutions, including the independently developed and manufactured Singleron Matrix™ automated single-cell sequencing library preparation instrument, GEXSCOPE® high-throughput single-cell sequencing kits, CeleScope™ bioinformatics analysis software, and SynEcoSys™ single-cell database. The company has served nearly 300 renowned hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and research institutions both in China and abroad. Adhering to the innovative philosophy of “Exploring the Essence of Things to Attain Knowledge, Perceiving the Subtle to Understand the Fundamental,” Singleron is committed to applying breakthrough single-cell technologies to scientific research, clinical diagnostics, health management, and drug development.