TL;DR:
- Intellegens secures £1.6 million grant from Innovate UK for medical R&D.
- Machine learning is applied to oligonucleotide therapies with the potential to treat diverse diseases.
- Oligonucleotide therapies are hindered by limited manufacturing expertise.
- Collaboration with CPI to enhance Alchemite ML technology for better manufacturing.
- Involvement of leading research organizations and pharma companies.
- Initiative aims to revolutionize oligonucleotide therapeutic manufacturing.
Main AI News:
In a strategic move aimed at revolutionizing medical research and development, Intellegens has successfully secured a substantial £1.6 million grant from Innovate UK. This funding injection is poised to usher in a new era of disease treatment methodologies, leveraging the power of machine learning (ML).
The grant will be strategically allocated to propel the advancement of ML within the burgeoning domain of oligonucleotide therapies. These therapies hold immense promise due to their remarkable specificity, with the potential to address an expansive array of diseases. While the concept of therapeutic oligonucleotides is laden with potential, practical application has been stifled by limitations in manufacturing expertise and knowledge. These constraints predominantly affect a limited number of specialized firms, hindering the realization of oligonucleotides’ full potential.
The synthesis and production of therapeutic oligonucleotides are intricate processes, involving multifaceted stages and intricate purification and analysis steps. Tackling the intricacies of this workflow has proven to be a formidable challenge, leading to suboptimal manufacturing productivity.
Intellegens, in partnership with the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), is embarking on a two-year initiative that holds the promise of reshaping this landscape. The primary focus is on refining and validating their ML technology, Alchemite, as a transformative tool. This innovation is set to enhance productivity and yield in the manufacturing of oligonucleotide therapeutics by predicting performance and optimizing quality control strategies.
The significance of this project is further underscored by the direct involvement of six eminent research entities. These include heavyweight players in the pharmaceutical realm like Novartis, as well as specialist biotech firms such as Silence Therapeutics. Their collective expertise is set to propel this initiative to unprecedented heights.
CEO of Intellegens, Ben Pellegrini, encapsulates the anticipation surrounding this project: “The realm of oligonucleotide therapeutics holds the potential to address an extensive spectrum of diseases. However, its progress has been impeded by manufacturing limitations. We are thrilled to announce this collaborative venture with CPI and leaders from the life sciences sector, with the aim of utilizing Alchemite to revolutionize the manufacturing landscape of these next-generation therapeutics.”
Dave Tudor, the Managing Director of Pharmaceuticals at CPI, echoes the sentiment, adding, “Our excitement knows no bounds as we embark on this journey with Intellegens. This collaboration seeks to harness the latent potential of oligonucleotides for diverse medical conditions. The complexity of these molecules and the associated costly processes have hindered their widespread adoption. Through CPI’s Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre, we are orchestrating the convergence of pharmaceutical and technology experts to expedite the development of Alchemite tools. The ultimate goal is to streamline the journey from concept to manufacturing, thereby enhancing the feasibility of oligonucleotide therapeutics.”
Conclusion:
This strategic partnership between Intellegens and CPI, supported by a substantial grant, underscores the potential of machine learning to reshape the landscape of disease treatment. By addressing manufacturing challenges in oligonucleotide therapies, this initiative holds the promise of not only advancing medical research but also altering the dynamics of the market by making transformative treatments more feasible and accessible.
