AION Labs launches CombinAble.AI to design antibodies for therapeutic development

Israel-based AION Labs, an AI-enabled drug discovery partnership between global pharma and tech companies, announced the launch of a new startup company CombineAble.AI, which will speed up the development of therapeutics by addressing challenges associated with antibody design. 

CombinAble.AI was formed following an AION Labs startup challenge aimed at developing an AI-based solution for therapeutic antibodies. The company will develop a platform that integrates AI with computational methods for biomolecule simulations aimed at developing new biotherapeutics.  

The process involves leveraging data provided by AION Labs’ pharma partners in addition to publicly available data. 

“Our emphasis is on combining various advanced machine learning models, including large protein language models, molecular dynamics simulations and multi-objective optimization algorithms, integrating them into a single unified solution for targeted antibody discovery, AION Labs’ resources and expertise have been pivotal in shaping our company, providing the material and logistical support to help us refine our scientific strategy, and expand the team. As we progress, the knowledge and insights provided by its pharmaceutical partners will be invaluable for the development and commercialization of our solution,” said Dr. Daria Kokh cofounder and CEO of CombinAble.AI, in a press release. 

THE LARGER TREND

CombinAble.AI is the latest startup from the venture studio, adding to a portfolio that includes companies such as DenovAI, an AI-powered platform to discover potential antibodies from scratch, then suggest which ones can be used as effective drugs.

Another portfolio company of AION is Promise Bio, which offers a cloud-based platform that performs epiproteomic analysis for precision medicine pertaining to complex chronic conditions, including autoimmune diseases. 

TenAces utilizes AI, integrating biology and machine learning algorithms to discover molecular glue therapies to enhance targeted protein degradation, and OMEC.AI builds a computational platform using AI that can help researchers assess the clinical trial readiness of a drug candidate, identify hidden safety liabilities and suggest experiments to close any identified gaps. 

All five companies are geared towards research and therapeutic development.