Key Takeaways:
- Ailux and Lilly formed a partnership for bispecific antibody development.
- Ailux’s AI platform will be used to design new therapies.
- Lilly gets a license for Ailux’s technology and can nominate targets.
- Deal value could reach $345 million, with upfront and milestone payments.
Ailux, a wholly owned subsidiary of XtalPi have entered into a strategic partnership with Eli Lilly and Company which would see them work together on the discovery and development of therapeutic bispecific antibodies.
“Bispecific antibodies represent one of the most promising directions in today’s therapeutic landscape,” said Alex (Yi) Li, CEO of Ailux and SVP of XtalPi.
Platform
Ailux’s AI-powered platform integrates advanced structural modelling, generative design, and developability analytics for the design of therapeutic biologicals.
Li said: “At Ailux, we have built AI-powered solutions that can rapidly engineer panels of monospecific antibodies into bispecifics with superior efficacy and developability. We are excited to collaborate with Lilly, a global leader in biotherapeutics, to advance next-generation molecules toward the clinic.”
Jian Ma, XtalPi’s Co-founder and CEO said: “Lilly has been a long-time partner of ours. We are proud to see Lilly expand this trusted relationship into the biologics space, recognising the potential of our AI-enabled platforms to create transformative therapies.”
Deal
Under the terms of the deal, Lilly will get a licence for Ailux’s antibody engineering platform for internal use, as well as nominate an undisclosed number of nominate target pairs.
The deal could be worth up to $345 million factoring in milestone payments relating to development, regulatory and commercial success. A press statement from Ailux also said: “The agreement includes upfront and near-term payments totalling a double-digit million-dollar amount, including a platform license option.”
