BenevolentAI, an AI provider in the biopharma scene, has declared that AstraZeneca has added a novel target for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) to its portfolio due to their collaboration.
This is the second target to be followed up from the partnership, highlighting the positive progress the initiative is having in identifying disease targets.
Wide ranging applications
The Benevolent Platform has been utilised in a range of settings by AstraZeneca, with the collaboration beginning in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and chronic kidney disease research, with the recent expansion of the collaboration to cover heart failure and SLE.
The partnership provides Benevolent with research funding, an allocation of funds at any discovery, development and commercialisation milestone, as well as tiered royalties on the net sales of commercialised products from AstraZeneca in exchange for its services.
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease where the body creates autoantibodies to attack the body’s own tissues. These autoantibodies can cause significant damage, resulting in pain and inflammation in the patient, as well as fatigue and cognitive issues.
SVP and Head of Research and Early Development Respiratory and Immunology at AstraZeneca, Prof. Maria Belvisi said:
“Our aim is to lead in lupus by continuing to discover and develop novel treatments that push the efficacy ceiling for patients, allowing more people to achieve remission. By combining our immunology disease area expertise and BenevolentAI’s AI-driven discovery platform, we are increasing our ability to identify new targets based on patient insights, complementing our portfolio of potential treatments for this debilitating disease.”