Ailux Biologics UCB\u2019s Strategic Collaboration with Ailux Biologics
Ailux Biologics UCB, a leading global biopharmaceutical company, and XtalPi, an industry pioneer in AI-powered drug discovery, have announced a landmark license agreement involving XtalFold™, an advanced biologics AI platform. Developed by Ailux Biologics, a division of XtalPi, XtalFold™ is designed to provide rapid and precise structural insights that accelerate biologics innovation throughout various stages of development.
Under this agreement, Ailux Biologics grants UCB a non-exclusive license to utilize XtalFold™ in the discovery and engineering of biologics. The platform’s capabilities promise to enhance UCB’s ability to develop highly differentiated biologics, further solidifying its position as a pioneer in leveraging computational tools for therapeutic advancements.
Dr. Jian Ma, CEO of XtalPi, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, “Ailux Biologics UCB has long been a pioneer in leveraging computation to develop highly differentiated biologics that benefit patients. We are proud to contribute to their efforts in creating therapies that transform lives.” Yi (Alex) Li, Vice President of XtalPi and Head of Ailux Biologics, emphasized the revolutionary impact of protein structure prediction, which recently garnered a Nobel Prize. “XtalFold™ exemplifies this innovation, offering a commercially validated solution with rapid industry adoption. We’re excited to join forces with UCB to further explore its potential,” he added.
The XtalFold™ Platform: Transforming Biologics Discovery
Ailux Biologics XtalFold™ is a proprietary AI-driven software suite that employs sequence information alone to model the interactions between biomolecules. These interactions form the foundation of biotherapeutics such as monoclonal antibodies. The platform’s robust capabilities have been validated through rigorous benchmarking, achieving state-of-the-art performance in terms of overall success rate and in modeling complex regions such as antibody-antigen interfaces.
By providing unparalleled structural insights, XtalFold™ accelerates innovation across various applications, including:
- Antigen Design: Optimizing antigens to elicit strong and targeted immune responses.
- Epitope Identification: Pinpointing specific regions on antigens that can bind effectively to antibodies.
- Affinity Maturation: Enhancing the binding strength of antibodies to their targets.
- pH-Sensitivity Engineering: Modulating the stability and activity of biologics under different pH conditions.
- Bispecifics Design: Creating antibodies capable of engaging two different targets simultaneously.
These capabilities have made XtalFold™ a sought-after tool among global pharmaceutical companies, delivering impactful results across diverse biologics projects.
A Shared Vision for Therapeutic Advancements
UCB has a rich legacy of innovation in antibody discovery and engineering. The company has pioneered advanced techniques such as single-B cell screening and in vitro display discovery technologies to identify promising antibody candidates. By integrating structural insights from XtalFold™, UCB aims to further optimize its workflows in antibody discovery and development.
“We have established unique and powerful technologies to support hit identification and are pioneers in structure-based and computer-aided optimization of molecules,” said Daniel Lightwood, Head of Antibody Discovery and Optimization at UCB. “The XtalFold™ license takes this further, integrating antibody-antigen structural insights into the entire antibody discovery and optimization workflow.”
Alexander Hillisch, Head of Global Computational-Aided Drug Design (CADD) at UCB, underscored the rigorous evaluation process leading to this decision. “Our decision to license this tool comes after extensive testing and evaluation against other computational approaches. We believe it has the potential to enhance UCB’s ability to rapidly and efficiently discover high-quality therapeutic antibody candidates and ultimately deliver new medicines to patients.”
Accelerating Biologics Innovation
The collaboration between UCB and XtalPi reflects a broader trend in the biopharmaceutical industry toward adopting cutting-edge computational tools. The integration of AI-driven platforms like XtalFold™ into traditional workflows represents a paradigm shift in drug discovery and development, enabling faster, more precise, and cost-effective solutions.
UCB’s adoption of XtalFold™ is poised to significantly enhance its research and development capabilities. By leveraging AI-generated insights, the company can address complex challenges in biologics innovation, including identifying novel therapeutic targets and optimizing existing molecules. This partnership also highlights the increasing importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing healthcare solutions, combining expertise in biology, chemistry, and artificial intelligence.
Industry Implications and Future Prospects
The partnership between UCB and XtalPi sets a benchmark for the integration of AI into biologics research. As the pharmaceutical industry continues to evolve, the demand for advanced computational tools is expected to grow. Platforms like XtalFold™, with their proven capabilities and widespread adoption, are likely to play a central role in shaping the future of drug discovery.
For XtalPi, the agreement with UCB represents another milestone in its mission to revolutionize the drug discovery process through AI. The success of XtalFold™ underscores the potential of AI-driven platforms to transform not only biologics development but also broader applications in small molecule drug discovery and personalized medicine.
For UCB, the partnership aligns with its strategic focus on leveraging innovation to address unmet medical needs. By integrating XtalFold™ into its workflows, the company is well-positioned to accelerate the development of groundbreaking therapies, ultimately improving outcomes for patients worldwide.
