ImmunoPrecise Antibodies Ltd. (NASDAQ: IPA) has achieved a significant breakthrough in computational biology with its LENSai platform, demonstrating that artificial intelligence can match the precision of x-ray crystallography in epitope mapping while delivering results in hours rather than weeks. The AI-powered system achieved predictive scores (AUC 0.79-0.89) comparable to or exceeding those of gold-standard wet-lab methods across multiple experimental techniques.
Matching Gold Standard Performance
In benchmarking studies, LENSai's in silico epitope mapping application was tested across five known antibody-antigen pairs and compared against multiple experimental techniques, including HDX-MS, alanine scanning, and x-ray crystallography. The platform's ability to deliver x-ray-level precision using sequence data alone represents a notable advancement in an industry where high failure rates and costly, time-intensive experiments remain common challenges.
"In an industry where over 95% of drug candidates fail before reaching the clinic, accelerating decisions earlier in the discovery pipeline isn't a luxury—it's a necessity," said Dr. Jennifer Bath, CEO of IPA. "With LENSai, we're demonstrating that AI is designed to deliver accurate, scalable, and human-relevant biological predictions that were previously only accessible through months of experimental work."
Breakthrough in AI Generalization
A separate validation study revealed LENSai's ability to accurately predict binding sites on entirely new molecular complexes. The platform was tested on 30 antibody-protein pairs, 17 of which it had never encountered before. Despite having no prior exposure to these molecules, LENSai achieved prediction scores nearly identical to those from its original training data.
"It's generally assumed that AI can only make accurate predictions if it has seen similar data before," explained Dr. Bath. "But this benchmark proves otherwise: LENSai accurately mapped antibody binding sites on entirely new antibody-protein complexes—none of which were used in training. Not the antibodies. Not the targets. Not the complexes. And the predictions aligned with wet-lab results."
Transforming Drug Discovery Economics
Epitope mapping traditionally requires expensive, time-consuming laboratory work using scarce protein samples. LENSai transforms this process by delivering early-stage epitope insights from sequence alone, eliminating the need for physical materials while maintaining near-x-ray-level precision. This approach significantly reduces both cost and risk in the antibody development process.
The breakthrough aligns with growing regulatory momentum around New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), including the FDA's recent decision to phase out animal testing requirements for biologics. By eliminating the need for physical materials and enabling high-resolution approaches, LENSai advances ethical and scalable biotherapeutic discovery methods.
Platform Integration and Commercial Impact
This latest achievement builds on previous LENSai releases, including in silico antibody engineering, epitope prediction, and multi-omics integration. The platform continues to demonstrate its ability to deliver high-resolution, scalable insights across key stages of biotherapeutic discovery, connecting sequence-based precision with accelerated timelines.
With LENSai already embedded in collaborations across big pharma and biotech, ImmunoPrecise is scaling access through secure APIs and custom partnerships. The company partners with 19 of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies and is advancing next-generation biologics through data-driven, human-relevant models.
"We view this achievement as a meaningful advancement that enhances the capabilities of drug discovery platforms," added Dr. Bath. "LENSai is now capable of providing pharma and biotech partners with validated, in silico answers to questions that once required months of wet-lab commitment."
