UCB and XtalPi Partner to Revolutionize Biologics Discovery

January 9, 2025 – UCB, a global biopharmaceutical company, has announced an exciting new partnership with XtalPi, an industry leader in AI-powered drug discovery. This collaboration allows UCB to leverage XtalPi’s XtalFold™ platform, a state-of-the-art AI tool developed by Ailux Biologics, for advancing the discovery and engineering of next-generation biologics.

What is XtalFold™?

XtalFold™ is a cutting-edge software platform that uses artificial intelligence to analyze the structures of biomolecules, helping to accelerate biologics innovation. It can model interactions between biomolecules, like antibodies and their targets, based solely on sequence information. This breakthrough technology has proven highly effective in areas such as:

• Antigen design
• Epitope identification
• Affinity maturation
• Bispecific antibody design

By providing fast and accurate insights, XtalFold™ enables pharmaceutical companies to overcome challenging bottlenecks in biologics development.

A Shared Commitment to Innovation

UCB, known for its expertise in antibody discovery and optimization, will integrate XtalFold™ into its existing workflows. This partnership reflects UCB’s dedication to innovation and its ongoing mission to bring life-changing therapies to patients faster.

“XtalFold™ will help us unlock a new level of precision in antibody discovery,” said Daniel Lightwood, Head of Antibody Discovery and Optimization at UCB. “By integrating its powerful insights into our process, we’re enhancing our ability to design high-quality therapeutic candidates more efficiently.”

Alexander Hillisch, UCB’s Head of Global CADD, added:
“After testing various computational approaches, XtalFold™ stood out as a game-changer. This tool will support us in delivering new treatments to patients, faster and more effectively.”

XtalPi’s Perspective

Jian Ma, PhD, CEO of XtalPi, shared his enthusiasm:
“UCB has a rich history of innovation in biologics, and we’re proud to play a part in their efforts to create therapies that truly transform lives.”

Yi (Alex) Li, VP of XtalPi and Head of Ailux Biologics, emphasized the broader impact of this partnership:
“XtalFold™ represents the latest advancements in protein structure prediction, a field that recently gained global recognition with the Nobel Prize. We’re excited to see how this collaboration with UCB can push the boundaries of biologics development even further.”

What This Means for Patients

With XtalFold™, UCB is taking a bold step forward in biologics discovery, combining its established expertise with AI-driven insights to create therapies faster, more efficiently, and with greater precision. For patients, this means the potential for new, life-changing treatments to reach them sooner, offering hope for better outcomes and brighter futures.