A-Alpha Bio will leverage its platforms to characterize binding affinities between potential therapeutic proteins and various viral protein variants that Gilead may incorporate into potential future long-acting combination HIV therapy options.
Under the collaboration, A-Alpha will apply its synthetic biology platform, AlphaSeq, to assess millions of interactions between potential therapeutic moieties and viral protein variants.
In addition, the data generated by AlphaSeq will inform its machine learning (ML) platform, AlphaBind, to predict proteins that offer enhanced binding breadth and resistance to viral escape.
As part of the partnership, A-Alpha Bio will receive upfront and near-term success payments and will be eligible for development milestones and royalties if Gilead exercises its option to license novel proteins identified by A-Alpha.
HIV remains a global epidemic despite monumental scientific advances. The urgent nature of the epidemic has led to the development and implementation of therapeutics targeting all phases of the viral life cycle.
According to A-Alpha Bio, it is “uniquely suited” to discover and optimize biologics with challenging binding requirements, such as broad cross-reactivity.
“We are excited to collaborate with Gilead to advance the next generation of HIV therapies, drawing on our expertise in discovering and optimizing highly cross-reactive biologics," said David Younger, CEO and co-founder of A-Alpha Bio.
"Gilead is a leading innovator in the field of HIV, driving advances in treatment, prevention and cure research for more than three decades. We are confident that the insights we aim to provide through our platforms will support Gilead’s continuous pursuit of scientific discovery to provide solutions for the evolving needs of people affected by HIV around the world.”