Wednesday, December 20, 2023
Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., headquartered in Osaka, Japan, led by President and CEO Gyo Sagara, has recently announced a collaborative partnership with EVQLV, INC, based in Miami, Florida, USA, under the leadership of CEO Andrew Satz. This collaboration aims to develop novel antibodies targeting multiple specified therapeutic targets chosen by Ono, with the goal of advancing innovative antibody drugs.
Within the framework of the agreement, EVQLV will use its proprietary Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered Antibody Design Engine to generate therapeutic antibody designs for the specified targets. Ono will then leverage these designs to develop potential antibodies for the creation, advancement, and commercialization of antibody drug candidates. Throughout the research phase, Ono will provide EVQLV with research funding and milestone payments based on the success of the research. Additionally, Ono will retain the option rights to exclusively and globally develop and commercialize the resulting antibody drug candidates.
Expressing enthusiasm about the collaboration, Dr. Toichi Takino, Senior Executive Officer and Executive Director of Discovery and Research at Ono, stated, “We have been actively working to create biologics, including antibody drugs, to address unmet medical needs for a wide range of diseases. We are very pleased to collaborate with EVQLV and its proprietary AI-powered Antibody Design Engine. We expect that EVQLV’s AI technology will enable us to create novel antibody candidates against multiple targets more promptly and effectively. We are committed to accelerating our efforts in antibody drug discovery and bringing innovative drugs to patients as soon as possible.”
Andrew Satz, CEO and co-founder of EVQLV, emphasized the significance of the collaboration, stating, “Ono has a successful history of identifying unique targets that have translated into life-changing medicines. At EVQLV, our mission is to make AI easily accessible to researchers to positively impact the odds of success in drug discovery. We are honored to be working alongside the scientific and drug development experts at Ono, who have the ability to leverage our AI-designed antibodies and deliver breakthrough options for patients in need.”
Source: ono-pharma.com
