AI company VantAI has entered into discussions with Halda for a significant, over $1 billion proteomics collaboration deal.
VantAI and Halda Therapeutics Partner for Groundbreaking Drug Development
In a strategic collaboration valued at over $1 billion, AI-focused biotech company VantAI has partnered with Halda Therapeutics to accelerate the development of next-generation bifunctional small-molecule drugs for cancer and immune-mediated diseases[1][2][4].
The Collaboration's Key Aspects
- VantAI's Role: VantAI will deploy its advanced AI-driven platforms, including the Neo-1 foundation learning model and NeoLink high-throughput structural proteomics platform, to identify and validate novel target-effector protein pairs. These pairs are critical for Halda’s drug design, as RIPTACs function by simultaneously binding a tumor-specific "target" protein and an "effector" protein essential for cell survival[1][2][4].
- Halda's Role: Halda will utilize these validated target-effector pairs in its RIPTAC platform to design bifunctional small molecules that induce proximity between these proteins in cancer or immune cells. This "hold-and-kill" mechanism compromises essential cellular functions in diseased cells, leading to selective cell death without harming healthy cells. Halda’s lead candidate, HLD-0915, targets prostate cancer by linking the androgen receptor to a transcription-regulating protein[1][3][5].
- Impact on Drug Development: By combining VantAI’s AI-powered proteomics discovery tools with Halda’s clinically validated RIPTAC technology, the partnership aims to unlock novel, cell-selective therapies that can address previously inaccessible targets in both oncology and immunology. This collaboration has the potential to significantly expand the pipeline of bifunctional small molecules that precisely target cancer and immune-mediated diseases with improved efficacy and safety[1][2][4].
- Financial and Commercial Terms: The deal includes upfront payments, research support, milestone-based payments, and tiered royalties on net sales, reflecting a substantial commitment to advancing proximity-based drug modalities[1][2][3].
This partnership, which brings together VantAI’s AI and proteomics expertise with Halda’s innovative RIPTAC technology, could revolutionize targeted treatments for cancer and immune diseases by selectively inducing cell death in diseased tissues through a novel “hold-and-kill” mechanism[1][2][3][4][5].
Notable Partnerships
VantAI has already established partnerships with Johnson & Johnson, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Blueprint Medicines. The collaboration with Blueprint Medicines was established under a February 2022 contract, and the partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim aims to use VantAI's AI technology for protein degraders for undruggable targets. The partnership with Johnson & Johnson was signed in April 2022, with the aim of discovering novel molecular-glue protein degraders for important disease targets[1][2][3].
Blueprint Medicines was acquired by Sanofi for $9.5 billion earlier this year[3]. The collaboration between VantAI and Halda also aims to leverage the RIPTAC platform against immune-mediated diseases.
VantAI is one of many "vant" companies under the Roivant umbrella.
[1] VantAI and Halda Therapeutics Partner to Accelerate Development of Innovative Cancer and Immune-Mediated Disease Therapies
[2] VantAI and Halda Therapeutics Team Up to Develop Next-Generation Bifunctional Small-Molecule Drugs
[3] Sanofi Acquires Blueprint Medicines for $9.5 Billion
[4] VantAI and Halda Therapeutics Collaborate to Advance Proximity-Based Drug Modalities
[5] VantAI and Halda Therapeutics Announce Strategic Research Partnership
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