Altis Labs, Inc.

Orion will input its clinical data into Aitia’s AI-powered twins program to develop candidates for a range of oncology indications. Finnish biotech Orion has spied potential in Aitia’s “digital twin” tech to develop new cancer drugs.“Digital twins” refer to simulations that help drug developers and others understand how a theoretical situation might play out in the real world. Aitia’s so-called Gemini Digital Twins leverage multi-omic patient data, plus AI and simulations, to help identify potential new molecules and the patient groups most likely to benefit from them.“By creating highly accurate and predictive models of disease, we can uncover previously hidden mechanisms and pathways, accelerating the discovery of new, more effective medicines,” Aitia’s CEO and co-founder, Colin Hill, said in a Sept. 25 release.Today’s deal will see Orion input its clinical data into Aitia’s AI-powered twins program to develop candidates for a range of oncology indications.Orion will have an exclusive option to license the resulting drugs, with Aitia in line for upfront and milestone payments potentially totaling over $10 million per target as well as possible single-digit tiered royalties.Orion isn’t the first drug developer to spot potential in digital twins. Last year, Canadian computational imaging company Altis Labs unveiled an international project that included drug giants AstraZeneca and Bayer to advance the use of digital twins in clinical trials. Outside of drug development, digital twins are sometimes used to map out drug manufacturing procedures. Outi Vaarala, Orion’s SVP, Innovative Medicines and Research & Development, said the new collaboration with Aitia “gives us an opportunity to push the boundaries of what's possible.”“By leveraging their cutting-edge technology, we aim to unlock deeper insights into the complex biology of cancer, ultimately accelerating the development of novel therapies that could significantly improve patient outcomes,” Vaarala said in a Sept. 25 release.Aitia already has a list of partners that includes the CRO Charles River Laboratories and the pharma group Servier.Orion signed a high-profile deal in the summer when long-time partner Merk & Co. put more than $1.6 billion biobucks on the table for cancer candidates targeting CYP11A1, an enzyme important in steroid production.

Strategic partnership harnesses respective organ-specific expertise to provide complete human-derived Organ-on-a-Chip solution for more accurate in vitro ADME predictions Early access to dual-organ model available through CN Bio’s Contract Research Services CAMBRIDGE, England, & DURHAM, N.C--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- CN Bio and Altis Biosystems, Inc. (“Altis”), leading developers of in vitro human organ models that optimize the accuracy and efficiency of drug development, today announced a strategic partnership. Through this partnership, Altis’ human RepliGut® Planar-Jejunum model will be integrated with CN Bio’s PhysioMimix® Liver-on-a-Chip to create a primary human microphysiological system (MPS), with inter-organ communication to mimic the oral drug administration route. Harnessing both companies’ organ-specific expertise, the MPS provides preclinical researchers with a robust and reliable Gut/Liver model for enhancing the in vitro to in vivo translatability of oral bioavailability studies. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) data is collected during drug discovery and development to predict how a drug interacts with a patient’s body, helping to optimize drug properties, support candidate selection, and inform the design of the clinical phase. However, as many as 5-10% of clinical failures are attributed to issues with pharmacokinetics in drug development1. Existing preclinical tools to assess human oral bioavailability are limited; cell culture models are simplistic, whilst interspecies differences limit the translatability of data between animal models and humans2. CN Bio and Altis’ integrated Gut/Liver MPS bridges this gap for more accurate predictions of human drug oral bioavailability earlier in the drug development process. The model enables researchers to select only the most promising candidates for animal studies, better inform in vivo study design, and minimize the number of animals required. Primary human cells are considered the gold standard for advanced in vitro models; however, gut cells present challenges that limit their use. Altis’ RepliGut Planar model overcomes these limitations by using donor intestinal stem cells that are sequentially proliferated and differentiated into the key cell types in the human gastrointestinal epithelium. RepliGut Planar models developed from the different intestine regions recreate the cellular lifecycle of the intestinal crypt and can be used for a variety of applications. By interconnecting the RepliGut Planar-Jejunum model with CN Bio’s industry-leading primary human Liver-on-a-Chip, the dual-organ Gut/Liver model represents the next-generation of CN Bio’s oral bioavailability assay. The unique solution generated via this partnership will enable researchers to maximize the accuracy and predictability of in vitro derived data. Early access is available through CN Bio’s ADME Contract Research Services, prior to the release of a commercial product for use with the PhysioMimix Dual-organ System. Dr Yassen Abbas, Lead Scientist, CN Bio, said: “At CN Bio, we strive to develop the most predictive and human-relevant assays possible - we recognize Altis is specialized in modeling the intestinal epithelium, so we anticipated working together would provide a unique opportunity. Through this strategic partnership, we can capitalize on each other’s strengths to provide the industry with a best-in-class solution to address researchers’ needs – we are excited by its ongoing success.” Dr. Ben Scruggs, CEO, Altis Biosystems, commented: “We are very excited to be embarking on this relationship with CN Bio. Coming together like this enables researchers to benefit from decades of organ-specific expertise combined into one dual-organ MPS solution. Our collaborative relationship supports Altis’ ongoing mission to develop advanced cell-based models and assays that bridge the gap between basic research and clinical translation, and it’s a great step in our evolution as a company.” Kola, I. and Landis, J. (2004) ‘Can the pharmaceutical industry reduce attrition rates?’, Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 3(8), pp. 711–716. doi:10.1038/nrd1470 Musther, H. et al. (2014) ‘Animal versus human oral drug bioavailability: Do they correlate?’, European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 57, pp. 280–291. View source version on businesswire.com: Contacts Lily Jeffery Tel: +44(0)7891477378 Email: lily.jeffery@zymecommunications.com Source: CN Bio View this news release online at:

Aitia reached a deal that lets it access Charles River Labs' AI drug solution platform to speed the development of several therapy programs. Charles River Laboratories inked a deal that will allow Aitia to access its artificial-intelligence-powered drug solution platform with the goal of speeding the development of several therapy programs aimed at treating neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Under the deal, Aitia will use CRL’s Logica platform for its portfolio of novel drug candidates aimed at Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases as well as prostate cancer and multiple myeloma, the company said in a Nov. 13 press release. Somerville, Massachusetts-based Aitia—formerly known as GNS Healthcare—specializes in using causal AI and digital twins in its work. Digital or virtual twins are computerized copies of real-world objects or processes. Experts can use digital copies to garner real-time insights on a range of topics. Currently, digital twin simulations are also used by drug developers and clinicians to understand how a patient and/or a therapy may perform in real-life situations. The financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. “Unraveling the complex genetic and molecular circuitry of neurodegenerative disorders is critical to the discovery of treatments that significantly slow or reverse these devastating diseases,” Colin Hill, Aitia CEO and co-founder, said in the release. “I do not believe we will get there without the insights from our Digital Twins, which now combined with the advantages of Logica, positions Aitia to rapidly translate our discoveries into novel drug candidates.” In August, Canadian computational imaging company Altis Labs was tapped to lead an international project that includes drug giants AstraZeneca and Bayer to advance the use of digital twins in clinical trials.