Profluent, Lilly partner in genetic medicine deal worth up to $2.25 billion

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April 28 : AI firm Profluent said on Tuesday it has struck a multi-program research collaboration with U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly worth up to $2.25 billion to develop AI-designed enzymes for genetic medicines.

Here are some details:

• Under the agreement, Profluent will use its artificial intelligence technology to create custom enzymes designed to make precise changes to DNA.

• Lilly will have exclusive rights to further develop selected enzymes and bring any resulting medicines to market.

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• Profluent will receive an upfront payment and research funding, and could earn up to $2.25 billion in milestone payments, as well as royalties on future sales.

• Further financial details were not disclosed, the company said.

• Genetic medicines are treatments designed to treat disease by altering genes or how they function in the body.

• The collaboration is focused on diseases that are hard to treat with existing gene-editing tools, which often can only make small changes to DNA.

• Many inherited diseases are caused by different genetic errors in different patients, making it difficult to develop treatments that work broadly.

• Profluent said its AI approach could allow larger and more accurate DNA changes, potentially enabling doctors to replace faulty genes rather than fix small sections.

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