Gilead and Genesis Collaborate on AI-driven Therapies

Gilead Sciences has initiated a strategic alliance with Genesis Therapeutics to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) in the discovery and development of new small molecule treatments. The collaboration aims to harness the sophisticated AI technologies offered by Genesis to identify therapeutic candidates for specific targets selected by Gilead.

Central to this partnership is Genesis’s state-of-the-art AI platform, Genesis Exploration of Molecular Space (GEMS). This platform will be instrumental in the design and optimization of molecules tailored to the targets chosen by Gilead. The focus of the collaboration will be on preclinical research, with Gilead retaining exclusive rights to the clinical development and potential commercialization of any compounds that emerge from the partnership.

Flavius Martin, the executive vice-president of research at Gilead Sciences, commented on the potential of generative AI in drug development. He emphasized that advancements in AI, driven by scientific innovation and new technologies, could significantly speed up the discovery of molecules for complex targets. Martin expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration with Genesis, highlighting the promise of their AI platform in uncovering and advancing novel therapies to meet critical unmet patient needs.

As part of the agreement, Genesis Therapeutics will receive an upfront payment of $35 million for three initial targets. Additionally, Gilead has the option to nominate further targets, which would incur additional fees. Beyond the initial payment, Genesis stands to receive further financial compensation through various milestones related to preclinical development, regulatory approvals, and commercial achievements. Moreover, Genesis is eligible for royalty payments based on net product sales.

Evan Feinberg, the founder and CEO of Genesis Therapeutics, elaborated on the challenges of drug discovery for protein targets that lack sufficient training data. He noted that traditional machine learning methods often fall short in such scenarios. Feinberg mentioned that Genesis has developed a specialized AI platform designed to tackle these issues, thereby facilitating drug discovery campaigns for challenging targets. He expressed excitement about combining Genesis's AI and drug discovery expertise with Gilead’s extensive research and development capabilities. The shared objective of the collaboration is to create groundbreaking therapies for patients in need.

Prior to this partnership, Genesis Therapeutics had already raised over $300 million to build a pipeline targeting significant medical conditions. This funding highlights the company’s commitment to advancing medical research and developing impactful treatments.

This latest collaboration follows Gilead's recent partnership with PANTHERx Rare to distribute LIVDELZI, a medication for adults with primary biliary cholangitis. The ongoing strategic initiatives by Gilead demonstrate its dedication to expanding its therapeutic portfolio and addressing critical health conditions through innovative partnerships and advanced technologies.

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