Tonix Pharmaceuticals and X-Chem Partners To Leverage AI To Develop Broad-Spectrum Antivirals

Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp, a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company, has announced its collaboration with X-Chem, Inc., a leader in small molecule drug discovery, to take hold of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) for accelerating the development of Tonix's oral broad-spectrum antiviral programs. Their major focus is to develop oral CD45 phosphatase inhibitors, specifically under the TNX-4200 program, which targets various viral families.

Tonix previously secured a contract worth up to $34 million from the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). This funding will support the development of the TNX-4200 antiviral, with key milestones including the submission of an Investigational New Drug (IND) application and a Phase 1 clinical trial. The goal of TNX-4200 is to lower viral load and enhance the immune system's response to biothreat agents.

Tonix's research efforts are supported by its state-of-the-art Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) lab and Animal Biosafety Level 3 (ABSL-3) facility at its R&D centre in Frederick, Maryland, located in the 'I-270 biotech corridor,' a hub of U.S. biodefense research.

“We are excited to enter into this research collaboration with X-Chem, which we believe will expand our capabilities and deepen our understanding of host-targeted small molecule therapeutics for various targets. With the support of X-C hem's drug discovery AI/ML technology, we expect to optimise the physicochemical properties, pharmacokinetics, and safety attributes of our drug candidates,” stated Seth Lederman, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Tonix Pharmaceuticals. 

Erin Davis, PhD, Chief Technology Officer of X-Chem, said, "We are excited to partner with Tonix in their pursuit of such important programs in human health at the intersection of laboratory and silicon technology. This collaboration highlights how integrative work continues to leverage the creation of target-specific high-quality data to drive AI drug discovery.”