Harbour BioMed (HKEX: 02142, the "Company"), a global biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery, development and commercialization of novel antibody therapeutics focusing on immunology and oncology, and Insilico Medicine ("Insilico"), a clinical stage generative artificial intelligence (AI)-driven biotechnology company, today announced a strategic collaboration to accelerate the discovery and development of innovative therapeutic antibodies, leveraging their respective technological strengths in antibody discovery and artificial intelligence.
Under the collaboration agreement, the parties will combine Harbour BioMed's industry-leading technology platform, proprietary dataset and extensive expertise in antibody development with Insilico's advanced capabilities in designing integrated AI-driven drug discovery and development platforms to jointly develop the next-generation AI-powered antibody application. Additionally, the two companies will collaborate on early-stage drug discovery programs targeting novel, specific antibodies, leveraging Insilico's AI expertise and Harbour BioMed's wet lab capabilities. These efforts aim to deliver innovative therapeutic solutions for the unmet medical needs of immunology, oncology, and neuroscience.
Harbour BioMed has built a strong foundation in antibody discovery and development, underpinned by its advanced technology platform, proprietary dataset, and deep expertise. The Company's proprietary Harbour Mice® platform enables the generation of fully human monoclonal antibodies in both conventional (H2L2) and heavy chain-only (HCAb) formats, eliminating the need for additional engineering or humanization. The HCAb technology, in particular, produces unique, fully human heavy chain-only antibodies that are approximately half the size of conventional IgGs, offering significant advantages for next-generation antibody therapies. With a clinically validated and globally recognized platform, Harbour BioMed has applied its technology in more than 250 drug discovery programs across various therapeutic areas, establishing itself as a leader in the field of biotherapeutics.
Insilico has previously showcased the capability of its proprietary AI platform to significantly reduce cost and improve efficiency in the early stages of small molecule drug discovery and development. Since 2021, the company has established a wholly-owned pipeline of 30 assets powered by its Pharma.AI platform, 10 of which have received IND clearance, setting a benchmark for AI-driven drug discovery and development. In July 2024, Insilico introduced Generative Biologics, an AI-powered tool for de novo protein engineering, designed to accelerate the development of next-generation biologics. Moving forward, the company plans to leverage real-world case studies to further refine and advance the application through ongoing enhancements and iterative improvements.
We are excited to collaborate with Insilico, a pioneer and leading advocate in AI-driven drug discovery and development, to integrate AI technologies with our industry-leading technology platform and proven expertise in antibody discovery and development. By combining our validated Harbour Mice® platform with advanced generative AI approaches, we aim to further streamline antibody discovery, enhance candidate selection, and ultimately bring innovative therapies to patients more efficiently."
Jingsong Wang, MD, PhD, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Harbour BioMed
"By combining advanced machine learning models with biological expertise, AI platforms are transforming antibody discovery and engineering -- enabling the prediction of antibody structures, identification of binding sites, and design of candidates with enhanced specificity, efficacy, and safety," said Feng Ren, PhD, Co-CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of Insilico Medicine. "High-quality dataset and wet-lab validation are critical components in this process, and we are thrilled to collaborate with Harbour BioMed who excel in these areas. Together, we aim to build the next generation AI-driven antibody platforms and deliver breakthrough antibody therapies to address critical healthcare needs."
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