- GSK partners with Ochre Bio in a $37.5 million deal to explore liver disease drivers.
- The collaboration aims to utilize Ochre’s advanced platforms for generating human liver datasets.
- GSK’s focus is on developing therapeutics for liver diseases, particularly hepatology.
- Existing clinical assets include treatments for primary biliary cholangitis, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, cholestatic pruritus, and hepatitis B.
- Lead candidates like bepirovirsen and linerixibat are in advanced stages of development.
- Kim Branson, GSK’s Senior VP of AI and Machine Learning, underscores the significance of leveraging Ochre’s platform for AI model development.
- GSK aims to accelerate drug discovery and development through refined experimentation using AI.
Main AI News:
GSK has sealed a significant deal with Ochre Bio, worth $37.5 million, aimed at unraveling the complexities of liver diseases. The collaboration, announced on Wednesday, underscores GSK’s commitment to leveraging Ochre’s computational biology and advanced platforms to generate comprehensive human liver datasets, a crucial step in enhancing our understanding of liver biology.
The ultimate objective of this partnership is the development of innovative therapeutics to tackle liver ailments. While specific target indications were not disclosed, GSK emphasized that the collaboration aligns with its strategic focus on hepatology.
GSK’s existing clinical portfolio includes assets addressing primary biliary cholangitis, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, cholestatic pruritus, and hepatitis B. Notably, the company is advancing bepirovirsen, a potential functional cure for chronic hepatitis B, into phase 3 trials, anticipating substantial annual sales.
Another promising candidate in GSK’s liver disease pipeline is linerixibat, currently in phase 3 for cholestatic pruritus associated with primary biliary cholangitis. This condition, characterized by relentless itching, poses a significant unmet medical need.
Kim Branson, Senior Vice President and Global Head of AI and Machine Learning at GSK, emphasized the significance of this collaboration in addressing liver diseases. She highlighted Ochre Bio’s platform as pivotal in providing foundational datasets for developing AI models to decipher liver function and pathology, thus facilitating the discovery of novel medicines.
Central to GSK’s interest in Ochre is the latter’s innovative platform, enabling the preservation of liver tissues for extended periods. GSK’s in-house experts in AI and machine learning will leverage the data generated through this collaboration to refine models and design more precise experiments, accelerating the development of next-generation therapeutics for liver diseases.
While specific terms of the $37.5 million deal were not disclosed, it encompasses both co-exclusive and nonexclusive data licenses, underscoring the strategic importance of this collaboration in GSK’s quest to address the complexities of liver diseases.
Conclusion:
GSK’s strategic collaboration with Ochre Bio represents a significant advancement in the understanding and treatment of liver diseases. By harnessing AI and advanced platforms, GSK is poised to accelerate the development of innovative therapeutics, potentially addressing significant unmet medical needs in the liver disease market. This collaboration underscores the increasing importance of AI and data-driven approaches in pharmaceutical research and development.
