Algen Biotechnologies announced a multi-target partnership with AstraZeneca worth up to $555 million to accelerate the discovery of novel therapeutic targets in immunology using advanced CRISPR gene modulation and AI-driven drug discovery technologies.
Under the agreement, Algen will leverage its proprietary AlgenBrain™ functional genomics platform to drive preclinical drug discovery, with AstraZeneca receiving exclusive rights to develop and commercialize therapies against a defined set of targets identified and selected through the partnership. Algen will receive an upfront payment from AstraZeneca, plus additional payments upon achievement of specific development, regulatory and commercial milestones.
AI-Powered Platform Targets Complex Inflammatory Conditions
The AlgenBrain™ platform represents a novel approach to drug discovery that models disease progression by capturing billions of dynamic RNA changes in human, disease-relevant cell types. The system links these changes to functional outcomes and therapeutic index through high-throughput gene modulation, enabling researchers to map causal links between gene regulation and disease progression.
"We're excited to collaborate with AstraZeneca to bring the power of our AI-driven functional genomics platform to decode complex chronic inflammatory conditions for drug discovery," said Chun-Hao Huang, Ph.D., CEO & Co-Founder of Algen Biotechnologies. "Together with AstraZeneca's deep expertise in translational science and clinical development, we aim to uncover new biological insights to accelerate the development of novel therapies alone or in combination to transform patient outcomes."
By mapping these causal relationships, the platform has the potential to identify novel genes that, when therapeutically targeted, may reverse disease processes. The AlgenBrain™ system grounds early discovery in human biology and aims to improve translational accuracy, increase the probability of clinical success and bring more effective therapies to patients.
Strategic Focus on Human Biology Translation
Jim Weatherall Ph.D., Chief Data Scientist for Biopharmaceuticals R&D at AstraZeneca, emphasized the importance of identifying biologically relevant targets. "We are using AI and Machine Learning to enhance the discovery of new targets, which we believe will help to create more effective medicines," Weatherall said. "Truly transformative therapies begin with uncovering the right biological targets, which have strong human translational relevance. Algen's platform offers a powerful approach to achieving this."
The collaboration represents part of a broader industry shift toward data-driven, biology-first approaches in drug discovery. Christine Du, Chief Business Officer and Co-Founder of Algen Biotechnologies, noted that "AlgenBrain™ is designed to uncover the most actionable targets by integrating experimental biology with AI in a continuous learning loop."
Technology Integration and Platform Capabilities
The AlgenBrain™ platform integrates advanced computational models with scalable, single-cell experimental systems to decode causal disease biology. By grounding discovery in human biology and mapping gene function to disease outcomes, the platform aims to drive predictive, precision drug discovery across multiple therapeutic areas.
Algen Biotechnologies was founded by Chun-Hao Huang and Christine Du as a spin-out from Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna's lab at UC Berkeley. The San Francisco-based company combines deep learning with high-throughput functional genomics to identify novel therapeutic targets, positioning itself at the intersection of CRISPR gene modulation and artificial intelligence for next-generation therapy development.
