Absci Accelerates Breakthroughs in AI-Designed Drugs with AstraZeneca and Almirall Collaborations

Absci is an innovative AI-driven drug development company that combines AI with wet lab technology to shorten the time it takes to create high-quality biologics for patients. Following its mid-November collaboration announcement with Almirall, a global biopharmaceutical company specializing in dermatology, Absci made another significant revelation in early December regarding its partnership with the global biopharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca (AZ). This strategic move aims to actively cross-industry boundaries and overcome existing time bottlenecks in the pharmaceutical process.

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Teaming up with Two Major Pharmaceutical Entities for AI drug development

According to Absci’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Absci can receive a total of up to US$247 million in upfront payments, R&D funds and milestone payments from AZ. In addition, Absci may receive royalties based on future sales of the product. The collaboration capitalizes on Absci’s Integrated Drug Creation™ platform, combining generative AI technology with AZ’s oncology expertise. The joint effort seeks to design therapeutic antibody candidates targeting specific tumor markers, solidifying AZ’s leadership in oncology treatment development.

Expanding its development scope from AI drug creation to dermatology, Absci has embarked on a partnership with Almirall, marking Almirall’s inaugural AI drug venture powered by Absci’s Integrated Drug Creation™ platform. This collaboration focuses on developing treatments for chronic debilitating skin diseases, showcasing the potential of AI-designed drugs to address unmet medical needs.

Integrated Drug Creation™ Redefining the Future of Drug Development

The Integrated Drug Creation™ platform, utilizing generative AI and scalable wet lab technology, assesses millions of protein-protein interactions. This platform facilitates the simultaneous optimization of diverse drug properties crucial to development and therapeutic effectiveness, thereby reducing clinical trial durations and increasing success probabilities. With the capability to learn from data, generate AI-driven solutions, and validate in wet labs, Absci can efficiently screen billions of cells per week, transitioning from AI-designed antibodies to wet lab-validated candidates in just six weeks. This approach streamlines the drug discovery process.

Absci’s dual collaboration with AZ and Almirall underscores the transformative potential of AI in drug creation across varied therapeutic domains. By melding cutting-edge AI technology with the industry expertise of leaders, Absci is positioned to make substantial strides in developing innovative and life-changing medicines. These partnerships not only expand Absci’s presence in oncology and dermatology but also signify a broader shift towards integrating AI at the forefront of drug discovery to address diverse medical challenges.

Author

Sinead Huang