GSK Partners with Ochre to Identify Liver Disease Causes Using AI

GSK has entered a significant $37.5 million partnership with Ochre Bio aimed at advancing research and treatment of liver diseases. The collaboration focuses on utilizing Ochre Bio’s cutting-edge platform that keeps livers viable for several days, allowing for the extraction of tissue samples. This innovative approach is expected to generate valuable human liver data sets, enhancing the understanding of liver biology.

The alliance, announced recently, will enable GSK to harness Ochre Bio’s computational biology and human organ platforms. These platforms will help GSK gather comprehensive liver data sets that are instrumental in studying liver biology more effectively. Ultimately, the objective is to develop new therapeutics for liver diseases, although specific conditions to be targeted have not been disclosed. Nevertheless, GSK emphasized that this collaboration aligns with its broader focus on hepatology.

Currently, GSK’s pipeline includes several clinical assets targeting liver conditions. These include treatments for primary biliary cholangitis, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, cholestatic pruritus, and hepatitis B. Notably, GSK is advancing bepirovirsen, a potential functional cure for chronic hepatitis B, through a phase 3 trial, with anticipated annual sales of £2 billion ($2.57 billion). Another key asset in phase 3 is linerixibat, developed for cholestatic pruritus in primary biliary cholangitis, a condition characterized by an intense itch.

Kim Branson, GSK’s Senior Vice President and Global Head of AI and Machine Learning, highlighted the importance of the collaboration in a recent statement. He noted that in addition to their existing programs for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis and hepatitis B, GSK is determined to address unmet needs in liver disease. By generating unique data from human-derived systems, Ochre Bio’s platform will provide foundational data sets. These will be instrumental in creating AI models that offer a better understanding of liver function and disease, which is crucial for the development of innovative medicines.

The partnership stands out not only because of the financial investment but also due to the strategic use of data. GSK’s in-house AI and machine learning experts will meticulously analyze the data obtained from Ochre Bio’s platform. This analysis will inform the development of more accurate models and, consequently, more precise experiments geared towards creating new liver disease therapeutics.

The $37.5 million agreement encompasses both co-exclusive and non-exclusive data licenses. However, the complete details of the deal have not been made public.

In summary, GSK’s collaboration with Ochre Bio represents a significant step forward in the quest to understand and treat liver diseases. By leveraging advanced technology to generate human liver data sets, this partnership aims to pave the way for the development of next-generation liver disease treatments.