Eli Lilly licensing AIchemab’s ALS antibody therapy in $415M deal
ATLX-1282 came from research into mutations tied to frontotemporal dementia
Alchemab Therapeutics has entered into a licensing agreement with Eli Lilly to develop and market ATLX-1282, a therapy candidate for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative conditions.
ATLX-1282 was developed using Alchemab’s platform, which uses machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to identify potential therapeutic targets for diseases that are difficult to treat. According to the company, the ATLX-1282 program is ready for an investigational new drug application, a mandatory step to obtain regulatory approval for clinical trials.
“As the first program from our highly novel platform, this is a landmark transaction for Alchemab,” Jane Osbourn, PhD, CEO of Alchemab, said in a company press release. “With Lilly’s deep expertise in neurological conditions, they are ideally placed to speedily advance ATLX-1282 through the clinic, and maximize the potential to help patients.”
Alchemab will develop the therapy through Phase 1 clinical trials, then Lilly will continue through the next steps and commercialization, as part of a deal that’s worth up to $415 million and builds on an agreement between the companies to develop up to five new antibody therapies for ALS.
ALS is a progressive neurological disorder caused by damage to nerve cells, particularly the motor neurons that control voluntary movement, and result in difficulty moving and paralysis, in the later stages. Several approved treatments are able to help people manage the condition, but there is no cure.
Studying protective antibodies
Alchemab, which is based in the U.K., seeks to develop antibody therapies for ALS and other conditions. Their approach involves analyzing antibodies that occur naturally in people who are resilient to a given disease, as opposed to those who have disease progression. The antibodies are sequenced from immune B-cells in these resilient individuals to help understand their immune response. Using AI and other data analysis approaches, antibodies are sought that may confer protection to the resilient groups, but are less common in people with the diseases.
These steps helped them zero in on ATLX-1282. “Our revolutionary computational and wet lab-based workflow has enabled us to sift through millions of antibodies to identify this target,” Osbourn said.
The therapy emerged when Alchemab analyzed people who had genetic mutations associated with frontotemporal dementia, the most common form of dementia for people under age 60, but who remained healthy as they aged. From the genetic sequence of an antibody found in this resilient group, they derived a target and confirmed that it protected the nervous system in multiple neurodegenerative disorders, including ALS.
Alchemab’s drug development pipeline includes programs related to neurology, metabolism, immunology, and oncology. “We look forward to unveiling highly differentiated assets in these areas in due course,” Osbourn said.
About the Author
