USA – In an effort to advance drug discovery through cutting-edge technology, Gilead Sciences has entered into a US $35 million collaboration with Genesis Therapeutics, a biotech company specializing in artificial intelligence (AI).
Under the agreement, Genesis Therapeutics will apply its generative and predictive AI technology to design and optimize molecules for several targets selected by Gilead.
This collaboration will primarily focus on preclinical research activities, with Gilead gaining exclusive rights to further develop and commercialize any compounds that emerge from the partnership.
In addition to the upfront US $35 million payment, Genesis will receive compensation based on the achievement of development milestones and commercialization success.
Evan Feinberg, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Genesis Therapeutics, explained the challenge they aim to address:
“Many promising protein targets have limited relevant training data, which makes it challenging to apply standard machine learning techniques. Our physical AI platform was designed to overcome these barriers, enabling drug discovery for even the most difficult targets.”
This partnership marks Genesis’ third major collaboration with a pharmaceutical giant, following successful partnerships with Genentech and Eli Lilly.
Gilead has the option to nominate additional targets for drug discovery, with fees set per target. Feinberg expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, saying, “We’re thrilled to combine our expertise in AI-driven drug discovery with Gilead’s world-class R&D teams to accelerate the development of therapies for critical diseases.”
Expanding AI capabilities and funding
Genesis Therapeutics has been making significant strides in the AI drug discovery space. Recently, the company raised US $200 million in a Series B funding round, attracting high-profile investors like Andreessen Horowitz, Fidelity Management, BlackRock, and NVIDIA’s venture capital arm.
This funding will support the clinical testing of Genesis’ AI-enabled drug pipeline while enhancing its AI capabilities.
Gilead has also been actively pursuing AI-powered drug discovery. Earlier this year, Gilead partnered with Cartography Biosciences in a US $20 million collaboration to identify novel tumor-selective targets.
Additionally, the company has made significant oncology deals, including a US $1.5 billion partnership with Merus to develop trispecific antibodies for cancer treatment, and a US $4.3 billion acquisition of CymaBay Therapeutics to expand its pipeline.
This growing focus on AI within the pharmaceutical industry highlights the potential of AI to revolutionize drug discovery.
Recent partnerships, such as Eli Lilly’s US $409 million collaboration with Genetic Leap, demonstrate the increasing integration of AI in developing new therapies and improving patient outcomes.
