GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has entered into a $37.5 million partnership with Ochre Bio to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced biological platforms to pinpoint the drivers of liver diseases. Announced Wednesday, this collaboration aims to generate comprehensive human liver data sets to deepen the understanding of liver biology and ultimately develop new therapeutics for liver diseases.
Ochre Bio will provide GSK with access to its computational biology, cellular, and perfused human organ platforms. This will enable the creation of proprietary human liver datasets, which GSK’s AI and machine learning experts will analyze to build more precise models for developing liver disease treatments. The partnership includes both co-exclusive and non-exclusive data licenses, though full details were not disclosed.
Kim Branson, GSK’s Senior Vice President and Global Head of AI and Machine Learning, emphasized the potential impact of the collaboration: “In addition to our programs in MASH to hepatitis B, we are committed to addressing unmet need in liver disease by generating unique data in human-derived systems. Ochre Bio’s platform will provide GSK with foundational data sets to create AI models allowing us to better understand liver function and disease for the development of novel medicines.”
GSK Expands Liver Disease Portfolio with Advanced Trials and Innovative Ochre Bio Partnership
GSK’s current liver disease portfolio includes clinical assets targeting primary biliary cholangitis, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, cholestatic pruritus, and hepatitis B. The pharma giant is advancing bepirovirsen in a phase 3 trial for chronic hepatitis B, aiming for a functional cure with projected annual sales of £2 billion ($2.57 billion). Another phase 3 asset, linerixibat, is being developed for cholestatic pruritus in primary biliary cholangitis.
Ochre Bio’s platform is particularly valuable due to its ability to keep livers alive for several days, allowing for the extraction of tissue samples. This capability will enable GSK to perform detailed single-cell sequencing and large-scale gene perturbation studies in human liver cells.
GSK and Ochre Bio Partnership to Drive Data-Driven Liver Disease Research and Therapeutics
Jack O’Meara, Co-founder and CEO at Ochre Bio, highlighted the importance of the partnership: “Data innovation is as important as algorithmic innovation when investing in ML workflows. Both Ochre Bio and GSK share a commitment to providing liver disease patients with more effective medicines and believe in a data-driven approach to improve therapeutic discovery. These large-scale, causal human datasets will be foundational for our respective liver R&D pipelines.”
The collaboration underscores GSK’s strategy to use advanced AI and machine learning techniques to enhance its R&D capabilities and accelerate the development of new treatments for liver diseases. By combining Ochre Bio’s innovative platforms with GSK’s expertise, the partnership aims to generate significant advancements in hepatology and improve patient outcomes.
Resource: Business Wire, June 12, 2024
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