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Optibrium Secures Multi-Million Pound Financing to Accelerate AI-Powered Drug Discovery Platform

AIDrug Discovery
  • Optibrium, a leading developer of AI solutions for molecular design, secured a strategic multi-million-pound financing package from Shawbrook to accelerate drug discovery technology development.
  • The funding will enhance Optibrium's generative chemistry, collaborative design, and 3D molecular modeling capabilities while supporting global expansion of its computational chemistry platform.
  • Over 160 global pharmaceutical and biotech organizations currently use Optibrium's software suite for compound design and optimization, contributing to faster and more efficient drug discovery timelines.
  • The computer-aided drug discovery market is projected to grow from $4.21 billion in 2024 to $13.08 billion by 2034 at a 12% compound annual growth rate.

HeartBeat.bio and biotx.ai Partner to Accelerate Heart Failure Drug Discovery Using AI and Human Cardiac Organoids

AIDrug DiscoveryPrecision Medicine
  • HeartBeat.bio and biotx.ai have formed a strategic partnership to identify and validate novel therapeutic targets for heart failure using AI-driven genetics and human cardiac organoid models.
  • The collaboration combines biotx.ai's Mendelian randomization platform with HeartBeat.bio's Cardioid Drug Discovery Platform to discover genetically validated targets and test them in human-relevant systems.
  • Heart failure affects over 30 million people globally, and despite recent therapeutic advances, many patients lack effective treatment options targeting underlying disease mechanisms.
  • The partnership aims to unlock a new generation of precision medicines for heart failure by focusing on cardiomyopathies, myocardial fibrosis, and chronic cardiac remodeling.

Synfini Secures $8.9 Million to Accelerate AI-Driven Small Molecule Drug Discovery Platform

AIDrug Discovery
  • Synfini raised $8.9 million in additional funding led by JSL Health Capital, bringing total funding to $53 million to advance its AI Cloud Foundry platform for small molecule drug discovery.
  • The company's integrated platform combines artificial intelligence, automated synthesis, and iterative molecular design to reduce small molecule iteration cycles from months to days.
  • Synfini plans to use the funding to expand its software and automated lab capabilities, hire scientific and engineering talent, and grow commercial partnerships in GPCR-targeted therapeutics and precision oncology.
  • The AI-driven chemistry automation platform eliminates traditional bottlenecks by streamlining target selection, compound design, and synthesis into a unified workflow.

Chugai and Gero Form $250M Partnership to Develop AI-Driven Antibody Therapies for Age-Related Diseases

AIMonoclonal AntibodyDrug Discovery
  • Chugai Pharmaceutical and Singapore-based Gero have entered into a joint research and license agreement to develop novel antibody therapies targeting age-related diseases using AI-driven drug discovery.
  • The collaboration combines Gero's physics-based machine learning platform for target identification with Chugai's proprietary antibody engineering technologies to create first-in-class therapeutics.
  • Under the agreement, Chugai will pay up to approximately $250 million in milestone payments plus royalties, while gaining exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize antibodies for Gero-identified targets.
  • The partnership represents a strategic move by Chugai to accelerate innovation through open collaboration as part of its TOP I 2030 growth strategy focused on global first-class drug discovery.

Monte Rosa's AI-Powered Discovery Engine Expands Molecular Glue Degrader Target Space in Science Publication

AIDrug Discovery
  • Monte Rosa Therapeutics published groundbreaking research on the cover of Science magazine, demonstrating how their AI and machine learning technologies have dramatically expanded the targetable protein space for molecular glue degraders.
  • The company's proprietary QuEEN discovery engine identified over 100 classes of proteins previously considered undruggable, spanning diverse therapeutic areas including immunology, inflammation, and oncology.
  • The research reveals new rules governing cereblon-based protein degradation, enabling rational design of highly selective degrader therapies for historically intractable therapeutic targets.

RDP Pharma and Singapore's EDDC Partner to Develop Protein Degrader Therapies for Autoimmune Diseases

Drug DiscoveryTargeted Therapy
  • Swiss biotechnology company RDP Pharma AG has formed a strategic research collaboration with Singapore's Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC) to develop monovalent targeted protein degraders for autoimmune diseases.
  • The partnership combines RDP Pharma's proprietary PromptDegrader™ platform with EDDC's integrated drug discovery capabilities to create oral therapeutics targeting dysfunctional immune responses.
  • Global autoimmune disease incidence is rising with annual increases of 19.1% and 12.5% respectively, highlighting the urgent need for new therapeutic options with improved efficacy and fewer side effects.
  • The collaboration aims to address unmet medical needs for patients with chronic autoimmune conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Catalio Capital Closes $400M Fund IV to Back Healthcare and Biotech Companies Amid Market Downturn

Drug Discovery
  • Catalio Capital Management announced the closing of its more than $400 million Fund IV, continuing its focus on healthcare and biotechnology investments despite challenging market conditions.
  • The venture capital firm, founded in 2020, has already deployed Fund IV capital into 16 companies, including diagnostics company PinkDx and drug discovery company Superluminal Medicines.
  • The biotech venture market experienced a dramatic decline from $152.3 billion in 2023 to just $12 billion last year, reflecting broader challenges from higher interest rates and reduced IPO activity.

Healx Partners with SCI Ventures in $2M AI-Driven Initiative to Develop Spinal Cord Injury Treatments

AIDrug DiscoveryRare Disease
  • Healx has partnered with SCI Ventures in a $2 million collaboration to apply AI-powered drug discovery to spinal cord injury, which affects over 20 million people globally with limited treatment options.
  • The partnership combines Healx's machine learning expertise with SCI Ventures' neuroregeneration domain knowledge and unique dataset access to target chronic spinal cord injury treatments.
  • The collaboration aims to dramatically shorten the path from discovery to clinical application by prioritizing AI-driven target discovery and drug repurposing strategies.
  • Success in spinal cord injury could open doors to AI-powered therapies for other neurological conditions including traumatic brain injury, stroke, ALS, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's disease.

Portal Biotech Secures $35M Series A to Commercialize World's First Full-Length Single-Molecule Protein Sequencer

Drug DiscoveryAI
  • Portal Biotech raised $35 million in Series A funding, representing one of Europe's largest investments into a life sciences tools company, co-led by NATO Innovation Fund and Earlybird Venture Capital.
  • The London-based company is developing the world's first technology for sequencing intact full-length proteins at the single-molecule level, addressing critical gaps in current protein analysis methods.
  • The nanopore-based platform promises to transform drug discovery and diagnostics by providing rapid, cost-effective protein characterization that could prevent billions in failed drug trials.
  • The technology aims to replace expensive mass spectrometry methods with accessible desktop instruments, making advanced protein analysis available to any laboratory worldwide.

Epigenica Secures $2.2M to Advance High-Throughput Epigenetic Screening Platform

Drug Discovery
  • Stockholm-based Epigenica AB closed a $2.2 million funding round led by Voima Ventures to accelerate commercialization of its EpiFinder epigenetic screening platform.
  • The company's proprietary technology enables simultaneous analysis of multiple epigenetic markers across large sample sets with exceptional resolution and efficiency for drug discovery applications.
  • Funding will support development of flagship products including EpiFinder Global and EpiFinder cNUC kits, service expansion, and entry into the U.S. market.
  • Epigenetics is emerging as a critical layer in multi-omics approaches, providing insights into how lifestyle and environmental factors influence gene activity and disease outcomes.

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