AI-powered drug discovery continues to attract investment

Optimism around the potential role for artificial intelligence (AI) in drug discovery continues, with recent financial deals supporting its use in developing therapeutics for age-related diseases, GPCR-targeting antibodies, DUB-modulating compounds, and novel fusion proteins. AI simulation to advance therapeutics for age-related diseases Biotech Shift Bioscience has raised $16 (£12.5) million in seed funding to further its research using generative AI models to understand how activation of different genes can reverse the ageing process. The funding round was led by BGF, with existing investors F-Prime Capital, Kindred Capital, and Jonathan Milner participating. The investment will be used for the continued development of Shift Bioscience’s artificial intelligence (AI) cell simulation platform, for the identification of genes that can safely rejuvenate cells to combat the effects of age-related illnesses. Cellular reprogramming with Yamanaka factors represents a promising technology that can rejuvenate cells, providing the opportunity to develop new treatments that target multiple diseases of ageing. However, the company says, there is a pressing need to identify gene-factors that can be used to reprogramme cells with proven safety. “Our technology is addressing the current limitations of cellular reprogramming for treatment of age-related illnesses,” Dr Daniel Ives, CEO, Shift Bioscience, commented. “This investment is indicative of the strength of our approach and is one of the earliest funding rounds for a biotech start-up exclusively focused on the rapidly emerging field of cell simulation for target discovery. This additional funding will allow us to accelerate the development of our platform and bring cell rejuvenation therapeutics closer towards clinical trial.” Shift Bioscience’s cell simulation platform combines generative AI with a high-throughput biological ageing clock, to predict which sets of genes are most likely to safely rejuvenate specific cells and then validate these predictions. £3.5M ($4.6M) supports generative AI antibody design platform Antiverse has added £3.5 ($4.6) million to its seed funding to facilitate continued development of its antibody design programmes. The latest investment round was led by i&i Biotech Fund I (i&i Bio) and Kadmos Capital, with additional investment from existing investors InnoSpark Ventures, UKI2S (managed by Future Planet Capital), Tensor Ventures, and AngelHub. This brings the total equity financing raised to £7.2M ($10.1M). The funding will be used to expand the company’s laboratory and machine learning teams, supporting the development of its internal assets against G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and ion channels towards the clinic, as well as facilitating ongoing collaborations with pharma and biotech companies. The funding will also be used to improve the predictive accuracy of the design platform, focusing on curating training data. Antiverse has also opened new facilities in Boston, MA, USA, and Prague, Czech Republic. Murat Tunaboylu, Co-Founder and CEO of Antiverse said: “A third of all FDA-approved drugs target GPCRs, yet, despite decades of research and billions of funding, only a few GPCR-targeting antibodies exist. Thanks to the support of our investors, we are one step closer to making GPCRs and other challenging targets druggable, bringing needed therapies to patients across the globe.” Read the DDW interview with Ben Holland, CTO and Co-Founder of Antiverse. AI-driven partnership accelerates DUB-focused drug discovery A new strategic partnership will combine Alleo Labs’ AI-based approach to developing novel therapeutics with Ubiquigent’s platform in the field of DUB focused drug discovery. Under the terms of the partnership, Ubiquigent will receive exclusive access to Alleo’s AI software, RubDUB, to accelerate its search for novel DUB-modulating compounds required for the development of DUB inhibitors, DUB-targeting PROTACs and DUB-Targeting Chimeras (DUBTACs). Alleo will gain access to Ubiquigent’s platforms and expertise to advance its in-house DUB-focused precision neuroscience programmes. In addition to advancing their own internal in-house programmes, the partners will also work jointly with third parties seeking to develop DUB-modulating therapeutics. Modulators of DUB activity represent an underexploited strategy for targeting previously ‘undruggable’ drug targets for the development of novel therapeutics. Alleo Labs’ lead programme, ALO-001, is a potential first-in-class, oral, brain-penetrant DUB small molecule inhibitor designed to address neuroinflammation in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and is currently in preclinical development with plans for first-in-human clinical trials. Jason Mundin, CEO of Ubiquigent, said: “The potential for the development of novel DUB-targeting therapeutics has never been greater, and this partnership with Alleo presents an exciting opportunity to not only add additional support to our in-house programmes prior to partnering, but also those of the partners we are supporting.” Jermaine Ross, Co-Founder and CEO of Alleo, added: “We are on the brink of a new era in understanding the role of DUBs in common neurological diseases. Our partnership with Ubiquigent provides a strategic advantage by connecting us with leading experts in the field. Together, we will significantly accelerate our efforts to advance DUB-focused therapies to the clinic.” Basecamp research completes $60 million series B financing Basecamp Research has entered a multi-year collaboration with the laboratory of Dr David Liu at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and completed a $60 million Series B financing. The Basecamp Research and the Liu Lab collaboration aims to advance new approaches to programmable genetic medicines that have the potential to transform treatments for a wide range of diseases. In its equity financing, Basecamp Research has attracted prominent investors and industry leaders at the intersection of artificial intelligence and the life sciences, bringing the total funding Basecamp Research has raised to date to $85 million. “We are pushing past AI’s limits in biological design by doubling down on solving the fundamental data gap that the entire biotech industry faces,” said Dr Glen Gowers, Co- Founder and CEO of Basecamp Research. “Basecamp Research is using its technology to generate new and deeper insights, going beyond known biology and each day expand what we can offer to our partners in the biopharma ecosystem.” In its collaboration with Dr Liu’s laboratory, Basecamp Research is working on development of novel fusion proteins and other large molecules to enable the next generation of genetic medicines. Basecamp Research’s Series B financing was led by Singular, with additional investors including S32, redalpine, André Hoffmann, Vice-Chairman of Roche, Feike Sijbesma, Chair of Royal Philips and Former CEO of DSM, and Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever. Returning investors participating in the Series B include True Ventures and Hummingbird Ventures. Optic AI and Vindur Tx close $17.5m deal Digital biology company Optic and Vindur Tx have agreed a collaboration that will leverage Optic's generative AI platform to identify novel highly selective kinase inhibitors, with the aim of developing more effective treatments against cancer. As per the terms of the agreement, Vindur Tx will pay Optic up to $17.5 million for its AI technology that can explore new ways of addressing previously "undruggable" targets in difficult-to-treat cancers. “Working with BIOPTIC has been a revelation. They delivered highly selective ligands in record time, significantly accelerating our research. We're thrilled with the results and the potential impact on our projects,” said Vindur Tx co-founder Deniz Kural. AI-aided drug discovery can save biotechs up 70% in costs, according to the latest research by Carnegie Mellon University. “Even though there are more and more targeted cancer drugs, many of them fail during clinical trials due to the lack of efficacy and toxicity,” said Optic CEO Andrey Doronichev. “The industry has been focusing on a tiny portion of the chemical space which proves unproductive. BIOPTIC platform allows researchers to screen vast uncharted chemical space to identify novel chemical scaffolds that would not only help improve efficacy and mitigate ADME-Tox issues but also provide better patentability.” Diana Spencer, Senior Digital Content Editor, DDW