Under the agreement announced Monday, Algen will leverage its proprietary AI platform, AlgenBrain, to identify and map genes linked to immune system disorders—areas AstraZeneca aims to target in future therapies. The Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical giant will handle the clinical development and global commercialization of any resulting treatments, while Algen will receive upfront payments and potential milestone rewards tied to the programs’ progress.
The collaboration does not involve AstraZeneca taking an equity stake in Algen, the biotech’s CEO and co-founder Chun-Hao Huang told Reuters. “Together with AstraZeneca's deep expertise in translational science and clinical development, we aim to uncover new biological insights to accelerate the development of novel therapies,” Huang said.
Algen, a U.S.-based startup spun out from research at UC Berkeley, traces its roots to the laboratory of Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna, co-inventor of the CRISPR gene-editing technology. Its AI platform, AlgenBrain, uses data-driven modeling to connect genetic variations with disease outcomes, guiding the direction of therapeutic discovery.
For AstraZeneca, the deal is the latest in a series of strategic moves to expand its cell and gene therapy capabilities, aligning with its ambition to reach $80 billion in annual sales by 2030. Earlier this year, the company agreed to acquire Belgian biotech EsoBiotec for up to $1 billion, gaining technology that enables direct modification of immune cells inside the human body.
The partnership underscores a growing trend among global drugmakers who are turning to artificial intelligence and machine learning to streamline discovery, reduce costs, and accelerate time-to-market for next-generation therapies.
The deal was first reported by the Financial Times.