Fusion Antibodies expands AI-powered antibody discovery with new partnership
() , a Belfast-based contract research organisation (CRO) providing a range of antibody engineering services, announced an update to its AI/ML-Ab service offering.
In May, Fusion announced memoranda of understanding with two AI/ML (artificial intelligence and machine learning) companies. Today, the contract research organisation confirmed an agreement with one of them, a "leading US-based AI/ML business", to support Fusion's new AI/ML-Ab antibody discovery service. Under the terms of the agreement, both parties will co-market the combined service offering, covering both the in silico AI/ML design of antibodies and their production and evaluation in vitro.
Additionally, each party will be entitled to a fee for any new business introduced to the other. Fusion said the two companies have already begun joint commercialisation of the offering and are processing multiple leads derived by both.
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Good news from Fusion as the company's previously announced MOU materialised into an agreement with a leading US partner. The shares rose c. 2% on the news. The agreement also includes the option to add Fusion's proprietary Mammalian Display technology, a derivative of its OptiMAL research programme, which can significantly improve success rates while reducing the cost per sequence test.
Fusion's disruptive AI/ML-Ab product combines the latest in AI technology for in silico design of antibody sequences with the company's established core knowledge in antibody expression and evaluation. With the Mammalian Display platform option, clients can also use AI/ML-Ab to screen focused libraries derived from AI/ML design outputs. By combining the two approaches, Fusion's clients can screen millions of sequences rather than tens of thousands as is currently typical for such projects.
Increasing the number of sequences screened by a factor of 1,000 or more significantly enhances the prospects of finding the best leads from AI/ML discovery projects, materially derisking them and lowering costs, in turn giving Fusion a competitive edge in the space.
Fusions said it is continuing work on the OptiMAL programme, in particular the development of a fully human antibody library.
Earlier in the month, Fusion announced a restructuring plan to cut costs by £2.2m as it raised £1.67m in a placing.
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