BOSTON — AI Proteins Inc., a biotechnology company specializing in artificial intelligence-driven protein design, has entered into a research collaboration and licensing agreement with Astellas Pharma to discover and develop a new generation of miniprotein-based therapeutics, in a deal potentially worth more than $400 million.
Under the agreement with Astellas Innovation Management LLC, an affiliate of Japan-based Astellas Pharma, AI Proteins is eligible to receive more than $400 million in upfront and milestone payments, along with royalties on net sales of any resulting commercial products.
The collaboration will focus on using AI Proteins’ proprietary computational platform to design and optimize novel miniproteins targeting multiple undisclosed biological targets.
Astellas will receive exclusive worldwide rights to therapeutic candidates developed through the partnership and will assume responsibility for subsequent clinical development, regulatory approvals and commercialization.
“Every biologic medicine on the market today is based on a molecule borrowed from nature that evolved to do something else,” said Chris Bahl, PhD, president, CEO and founder of AI Proteins. “Designing miniproteins de novo lets us work from the other direction, meaning we specify what a medicine needs to do, then build a molecule from scratch to do precisely that. It’s a shift from repurposing to design, and it puts problems within reach that traditional biologics can’t solve. Astellas has deep expertise in translating innovative science into medicines, and they’re the right partner to carry this forward to patients.”
AI Proteins uses computational de novo protein design technology to create therapeutic molecules from scratch rather than modifying existing proteins found in nature.
The company’s platform is designed to develop miniproteins with precise binding capabilities and engineered properties that could offer advantages over conventional biologic medicines.
The agreement is part of Astellas’ strategy to expand its early-stage drug discovery pipeline through partnerships involving emerging technologies and innovative therapeutic approaches.
“At Astellas, we are committed to investing in innovation and emerging technologies that have the potential to transform pioneering science into VALUE for patients,” said Morten Sogaard, senior vice president of Astellas Innovation Lab.
“Our collaboration with AI Proteins reflects our strategic focus on strengthening our early-stage research pipeline through partnerships that provide access to novel biology, differentiated technologies and new therapeutic possibilities. By combining AI Proteins’ advanced de novo protein design capabilities with Astellas’ expertise in translating scientific breakthroughs into innovative medicines, we aim to accelerate the discovery of high-quality therapeutic candidates that can help fuel long-term innovation and support our pipeline-led growth strategy.”
Under the financial terms, AI Proteins will receive an undisclosed upfront cash payment to design and optimize miniproteins against targets selected by Astellas.
Additional payments will be tied to development milestones, with royalties payable if resulting therapies reach commercialization.
The companies did not disclose the specific disease targets, the upfront payment amount or the anticipated timeline for advancing potential drug candidates into clinical trials.
