AstraZeneca Collaborates with Absci to Develop AI-Built Cancer Antibodies
AstraZeneca and Absci have entered a partnership to develop generative AI-built cancer antibodies worth $247 million, according to Reuters. The goal of this move is to eventually replace chemotherapy.
The Financial Times reported that the collaboration is focused on using Absci’s AI technology for large-scale protein analysis to explore potential cancer treatments, aligning with AstraZeneca’s primary objective. The companies aim to develop a zero-shot generative AI model to create novel and enhanced antibody therapies targeting cancer.
The agreement includes milestone payments, research and development funding, an upfront fee for Absci, and royalties on any product sales.
Following their recent aim to replace chemotherapy, AstraZeneca’s efforts on breast cancer treatment have been the latest development in this direction. In future, they hope to develop drugs suitable for various subtypes and phases of breast cancer treatment, potentially replacing chemotherapy entirely in the case of late-line breast cancer.
A separate Financial Times report detailed AstraZeneca’s trial data, demonstrating their advanced treatments’ superior performance over traditional chemotherapy. AstraZeneca presented clinical studies for breast cancer and lung cancer to support these advancements.
The collaboration with Absci marks a significant move for AstraZeneca, as they aim to integrate AI into every step of their research and development process through partnerships. Puja Sapra, a senior vice-president at AstraZeneca, spoke of the exciting opportunity to use Absci’s AI for antibody production, doubling down on the company’s commitment to AI as the future of medicine development.
The collaboration will leverage Absci’s Integrated Drug Creation platform to strengthen AI drug production, building on Absci’s previous alliance with Almirall to continue drug research in developing AI-powered treatments for severe and persistent skin conditions.
This partnership marks a significant advancement in AI drug production and development, positioning AstraZeneca as a key player in the shift towards integrating AI into every aspect of drug discovery and development.
