London, UK – June 12 2024
GSK has entered into a $37.5 million strategic partnership with Ochre Bio to leverage AI and computational biology for uncovering the underlying drivers of liver disease. This collaboration grants GSK access to Ochre’s cutting-edge computational biology, cellular, and perfused human organ platforms, enhancing its ability to generate human liver datasets for disease research and drug discovery.
Unlocking New Insights into Liver Disease
GSK will use Ochre Bio’s platform to study human liver function and disease progression, complementing its ongoing research in hepatology. Ochre’s unique technology allows human livers to stay viable for several days, enabling real-time tissue analysis. The AI-powered insights derived from this collaboration will help refine drug target discovery and accelerate the development of novel liver disease therapeutics.
“By generating unique data in human-derived systems, we aim to transform our understanding of liver disease,” said Kim Branson, Senior Vice President and Global Head of AI and Machine Learning at GSK. “Ochre Bio’s platform provides foundational datasets for AI models that will drive the development of precision medicines.”
Strengthening GSK’s AI-Driven R&D
The partnership aligns with GSK’s broader AI strategy, integrating machine learning with large-scale human data to optimize clinical trial design, patient stratification, and drug discovery. GSK’s expertise in AI and ML will be instrumental in analyzing data from the collaboration, refining disease models, and designing more targeted therapies.
GSK has a robust pipeline in primary biliary cholangitis, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), cholestatic pruritus, and hepatitis B, with late-stage assets such as bepirovirsen and linerixibat in development.
Future Implications
The initial three-year partnership includes co-exclusive and non-exclusive data licenses, with the potential for expansion. This agreement builds on GSK’s growing AI-driven initiatives, reinforcing its commitment to data-driven drug discovery and addressing unmet needs in liver disease.
About Ochre Bio
Ochre Bio is a biotechnology company pioneering RNA-based medicines for chronic liver diseases. Its proprietary discovery platform integrates machine learning, large-scale human datasets, and in-house RNA chemistry with testing in live human donor livers. Headquartered in Oxford, UK, Ochre Bio also operates research labs in New York and Taipei to drive innovation in liver disease therapeutics.
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