Content Harbour BioMed Unveils Partnership with Insilico for Enhanced AI-Driven Antibody Discovery

Harbour BioMed (HKEX: 02142), a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing, and commercializing innovative antibody therapeutics in fields such as immunology and oncology, has partnered with Insilico Medicine, an AI-driven clinical stage biotechnology firm. This strategic collaboration aims to accelerate the discovery and development of groundbreaking therapeutic antibodies by leveraging each party’s unique strengths.

Under the terms of their agreement, Harbour BioMed will contribute its industry-leading technology platform, proprietary dataset, and extensive expertise in antibody development to Insilico’s advanced AI capabilities for drug discovery. Together, they will develop next-generation AI-powered antibody applications with a focus on immunology, oncology, and neuroscience.

The collaboration includes joint efforts on early-stage drug discovery programs targeting novel antibodies. This partnership leverages Harbour BioMed’s wet lab expertise and Insilico’s cutting-edge artificial intelligence to identify specific targets for therapeutic development. Their combined resources aim to create innovative solutions that address unmet medical needs across multiple therapeutic areas.

Harbour BioMed boasts a solid foundation in antibody discovery, backed by its advanced technology platform, proprietary dataset, and deep expertise. The company’s Harbour Mice® platform allows the generation of fully human monoclonal antibodies in both conventional (H2L2) and heavy chain-only (HCAb) formats without additional engineering or humanization. Notably, HCAb produces unique antibodies that are approximately half the size of traditional IgGs, offering advantages for next-generation antibody therapies.

Harbour BioMed has applied its technology in over 250 drug discovery programs worldwide across various therapeutic areas, solidifying its position as a leader in biotherapeutics. Insilico Medicine’s AI platform has already proven to reduce costs and improve efficiency in early small molecule drug discovery since 2021. The company owns a pipeline of 30 assets powered by Pharma.AI, with ten receiving IND clearance.

In July 2024, Insilico introduced Generative Biologics—an AI tool for de novo protein engineering—to accelerate next-generation biologic development. Moving forward, the collaboration will use real-world case studies to refine and enhance this application through iterative improvements.

Harbour BioMed CEO Jingsong Wang highlighted their excitement in collaborating with Insilico Medicine. “We are thrilled to partner with a leader like Insilico Medicine on AI-driven drug discovery,” he said. “By integrating our industry-leading Harbour Mice® platform with advanced generative AI approaches, we aim to streamline antibody discovery and enhance candidate selection for the benefit of patients.”

Insilico’s Co-CEO Feng Ren echoed this sentiment: “AI platforms are revolutionizing antibody discovery by predicting structures, identifying binding sites, and designing candidates with enhanced specificity, efficacy, and safety. Our collaboration with Harbour BioMed brings together high-quality datasets from wet-lab validation to create next-generation AI-driven antibody platforms. Together, we will deliver breakthrough therapies addressing critical healthcare needs.”