Immunai and AstraZeneca Expand Partnership with $85M IBD Target Discovery Deal
Key Insights
Immunai (search) has signed an $85 million agreement with AstraZeneca to develop a novel therapeutic target for inflammatory bowel disease (search) discovered through AI-powered immune system mapping.
The deal expands their existing collaboration beyond oncology, with AstraZeneca gaining exclusive rights to develop and commercialize treatments for the newly identified IBD (search) target.
The target was discovered using Immunai (search)'s Immunodynamics Engine platform, which integrates single-cell multi-omics data with machine learning to model immune dysfunction.
Immunai (search), an Israeli biotechnology company specializing in artificial intelligence-driven immune system mapping, has announced an expanded partnership with AstraZeneca worth up to $85 million to develop a novel therapeutic target for inflammatory bowel disease (search) (IBD (search)). The agreement marks a significant expansion of their existing collaboration beyond oncology into autoimmune disorders.
AI-Driven Target Discovery
The therapeutic target was identified through Immunai (search)'s proprietary Immunodynamics Engine (IDE), which leverages the company's immune cell atlas known as AMICA. The platform integrates clinically annotated single-cell multi-omics datasets with machine learning to model immune function and dysfunction across various diseases, including cancer (search), autoimmune conditions (search), and inflammatory disorders (search).
Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca will obtain exclusive rights to develop and commercialize treatments directed at the newly discovered IBD (search) target. Immunai (search) will receive an upfront payment and is eligible for milestone payments totaling up to $85 million throughout the development process.
Addressing Unmet Medical Need
"Target discovery has always been a challenging process, especially in complex immune diseases like IBD (search)," said Noam Solomon, CEO and co-founder of Immunai (search). "Using an unbiased approach powered by AI and machine learning, Immunai's platform has identified an exciting novel target for IBD. This remains a debilitating condition for millions, and despite existing therapies, many patients continue to face uncontrolled symptoms, hospitalizations, and progressive complications."
Solomon characterized the agreement as "a turning point," emphasizing that the company's technology not only identifies new targets but helps researchers "understand why they matter." The approach represents a shift from traditional target discovery methods toward AI-powered, data-driven identification of therapeutic opportunities.
Building on Established Partnership
This new IBD (search)-focused agreement builds on a multi-year collaboration that began in 2022. The partnership gained momentum in 2024 when AstraZeneca committed $18 million to utilize Immunai (search)'s platform and machine learning tools to inform oncology clinical trials. The oncology collaboration encompasses decisions on dose selection, mechanism-of-action studies, biomarker discovery, and analysis of patient response patterns.
The expansion into IBD (search) represents a strategic broadening of the partnership's scope, moving from cancer (search) applications to autoimmune and inflammatory disorders (search). This diversification demonstrates the versatility of Immunai (search)'s AI-driven approach to understanding immune system dysfunction across different disease areas.