Profluent, Lilly partner in genetic medicine deal worth up to $2.25 billion
FILE PHOTO: Lilly Biotechnology Center is shown in San Diego, California, U.S. March 1, 2023 REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
April 28 : AI firm Profluent said on Tuesday it has struck a multi-program research collaboration with U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly worth up to $2.25 billion to develop AI-designed enzymes for genetic medicines.
Here are some details:
• Under the agreement, Profluent will use its artificial intelligence technology to create custom enzymes designed to make precise changes to DNA.
• Lilly will have exclusive rights to further develop selected enzymes and bring any resulting medicines to market.
• Profluent will receive an upfront payment and research funding, and could earn up to $2.25 billion in milestone payments, as well as royalties on future sales.
• Further financial details were not disclosed, the company said.
• Genetic medicines are treatments designed to treat disease by altering genes or how they function in the body.
• The collaboration is focused on diseases that are hard to treat with existing gene-editing tools, which often can only make small changes to DNA.
• Many inherited diseases are caused by different genetic errors in different patients, making it difficult to develop treatments that work broadly.
• Profluent said its AI approach could allow larger and more accurate DNA changes, potentially enabling doctors to replace faulty genes rather than fix small sections.
