Arbele, a biopharmaceutical company focused on cadherin-17 (CDH17) targeting, has announced strategic collaborations to advance precision oncology using artificial intelligence (AI) and to accelerate manufacturing of targeted immunotherapeutics. These partnerships aim to improve the treatment of advanced cancer patients through precise companion diagnostics and effective clinical trials.
AI-Driven Companion Diagnostics with BioAI
Arbele is partnering with BioAI Health to develop an immunohistochemistry (IHC)-based quantification algorithm. This algorithm will leverage BioAI's PredictX platform to analyze Arbele's clinical trial data on colorectal cancer (CRC) biomarker screening. The goal is to establish a gold standard companion diagnostic test for anti-CDH17 therapies, facilitating patient selection and predicting clinical outcomes.
"BioAI's machine learning capabilities offer a transformative approach to biomarker identification and patient stratification through predicting CDH17 expression and its spatial interaction with immune cells in tumor microenvironment," said Dr. John Luk, CEO of Arbele. "This collaboration is a critical step in guiding us the uses of the right treatment modalities and/or therapeutic regimens, thereby improving outcomes for patients with high mortality cancers."
Thomas Colarusso, CEO of BioAI, stated, "By partnering with Arbele, we are excited to apply our novel AI platform and expertise to accelerate the development of innovative treatment options for gastrointestinal cancers. This partnership underscores our commitment to revolutionizing personalized medicine through cutting-edge machine learning."
Accelerated Manufacturing with Chime Biologics
Arbele has also entered a strategic alliance with Chime Biologics to accelerate chemistry, manufacturing, and control (CMC) process development of novel antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and T-cell engagers (TCEs). This collaboration supports multiple pipelines of approximately 10 first-in-class and best-in-class immunotherapeutics, including monoclonal, bispecific/biparatopic, and TriAx antibodies over the next three years. The partnership aims to ensure Arbele can successfully file for investigational new drug (IND) applications for at least one to two new molecular entities (NMEs) and initiate clinical studies within the next five years without technical or supply-chain interruptions. The first deliverable is expected to be the anti-CDH17 ADC (ARB102A), with an IND submission planned for early 2025.
Dr. Jimmy Wei, President of Chime Biologics, noted, "Chime Biologics has partnered Arbele for several years, with our advanced biologics development supporting key milestones such as previous IND filings for multinational clinical trials. We adopt the Quality-by-Design (QbD) strategy for process development to yield optimal outcomes cost-effectively, delivering innovative immunotherapeutics to enhance the global accessibility of these treatments."
Arbele's focus on CDH17-targeted therapies addresses significant unmet needs in advanced CRC, cholangiocarcinoma, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and subtypes of ovarian cancers, which currently have limited effective treatment options and high mortality rates.
