Absci has announced a collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) to discover and develop novel therapeutics using generative artificial intelligence (gen AI).
Listed on the Nasdaq, Absci is a data-first generative AI drug creation company. On the other hand, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is a US-based cancer treatment and research centre.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center technology development senior vice president Gregory Raskin said: “At MSK, we are committed to continuous innovation as we strive toward our mission of ending cancer for life, and we expect cancer care AI to play an increasingly important role.
“We look forward to collaborating with Absci in leveraging the company’s generative AI platform in our ongoing efforts to advance cancer research and develop new therapies for our patients.”
The partnership will focus on the co-development of up to six cancer therapeutic programmes, utilising Absci’s Integrated Drug Creation platform.
It aims to combine Absci’s generative AI drug creation platform with the expertise of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s oncology research teams. The goal is to advance the development of new treatments for cancer, leveraging AI to potentially bring about significant breakthroughs in the field.
Absci founder and CEO Sean McClain said: “MSK has an incredible record of groundbreaking translational and clinical innovations in oncology.
“By combining MSK’s research expertise with our generative AI drug creation platform, we have the potential to unlock critical advances toward treating this devastating disease.”
This partnership with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center adds to Absci’s portfolio of collaborations aimed at developing novel biologics for serious diseases.
Over the past year, Absci has established partnerships with global pharmaceutical companies and research institutions, including AstraZeneca, Almirall, Merck, and NVIDIA.
Alongside these collaborations, Absci is also progressing its internal drug development pipeline, which includes ABS-101, an anti-TL1A antibody candidate, designed and optimised using the firm’s de novo generative AI foundation model.
In February of this year, Absci announced the commencement of investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies for ABS-101.
Earlier, in January, Absci presented preliminary preclinical data on ABS-101, highlighting three advanced leads that exhibited characteristics consistent with a potentially superior product profile. These leads demonstrated high affinity, high potency, favourable developability, and an extended half-life.
Absci anticipates submitting an IND application for ABS-101 in Q1 2025, with plans to begin Phase 1 studies for the programme shortly after receiving IND clearance.
