US-based medical software firm SandboxAQ and biopharmaceutical company iOncologi have partnered to advance treatment for glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumour.
The partnership will focus on developing a high-fidelity mRNA vaccine, leveraging SandboxAQ’s AI-driven drug discovery platform and iOncologi’s immunotherapy expertise.
It aims to introduce a lead therapeutic candidate within 18 months.
SandboxAQ’s AQBioSim platform, which employs Large Quantitative Models (LQMs), will be used to identify and optimise drug candidates.
iOncologi will deploy its precision immunotherapy design and clinical execution capabilities, targeting tumours shielded by the blood-brain barrier or those cloaked in immune tolerance.
SandboxAQ CEO Jack Hidary said: “Our collaboration with iOncologi aims to create a new and effective treatment for this challenging condition, pairing the most comprehensive oncology datasets with advanced quantitative AI tools and simulation techniques, greatly accelerating the drug discovery process.”
iOncologi CEO Edgardo Rodriguez-Lebron said: “iOncologi is reimagining cancer immunotherapy by integrating immune intelligence, mRNA engineering, and drug delivery platforms into universal and adaptable, patient-specific treatment models.
“By combining this with SandboxAQ’s ability to model and rapidly optimise molecules across vast chemical and biological spaces, we are well-positioned to advance a truly transformative therapeutic for glioblastoma, and eventually for other treatment-resistant solid tumours.”
SandboxAQ’s AQBioSim platform is noted for its efficiency, using physics and chemistry models to simulate molecular behaviour and design new drug molecules.
The approach is reportedly 100 times faster and more cost-effective than traditional large-scale virtual screening methods.
The platform’s generative chemistry AI model has demonstrated superior molecule design with enhanced binding characteristics.
Last month, SandboxAQ partnered with the Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) initiative to support cancer research projects, which use LQMs to accelerate treatment development.
The initiative focuses on hard-to-diagnose and treat cancers and employs predictive modelling to optimise treatment responses and monitor potential recurrences.
SandboxAQ AI simulation general manager and AQBioSim division head Nadia Harhen said: “SandboxAQ’s Large Quantitative Models and AI simulation techniques have proven their ability to rapidly identify and design molecules that address some of the most challenging diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
“By adapting the technology stack to oncology, we believe we can make a significant impact where traditional approaches and other advanced technologies have failed.”
