BioMap collaborates with Harbour BioMed to discover a novel immune drug molecule, advancing the development of the natural killer cell immunotherapy platform

In October 2022, a series of triumphant strides marked the strategic collaboration between BioMap and Harbour BioMed. The NK cell (Natural Killer Cell) immunotherapy R&D project, employing BioMap's biological computing platform and Harbour BioMed's HarbourMice® platform, made considerable headway. An NK-related molecule candidate was identified, which passed rigorous validation and showed promising results in vitro.

NK cells, a rising star in the realm of immunotherapeutics, exhibit potent anti-tumor activity, potentiate T cell responses, attract various immune cells, and could significantly boost the efficacy of treatments. Although they offer fewer risks than T cell manipulation, their wide distribution and intrinsic constraints make modulating them an immense challenge. Simulating their membrane protein activation via antibodies safely yet effectively remains a pressing concern.

Back in May 2021, BioMap and Harbour BioMed inked a comprehensive strategic pact, aiming to deeply intertwine in the realms of innovative large molecule drug development, scientific research, technologoical industrialization, new product development, and transformation. Their shared goal Harnessing each other's expertise in bioinformatics and life sciences to usher in a new age of artificial intelligence drug development. The ambitious NK cell regulation drug became their key research and development endeavor. Leveraging BioMap's potent bioinformatics engine prowess and Harbour BioMed's unique antibody evolution abilities via HarbourMice®, novel NK targets served as key entrances. Fusion of target structures and triggering traits helped craft advantageous drug molecules with salient functionalities and drug-like attributes, yielding an array of unique HIT candidate molecules. Eventually, a lead molecule with top-tier functionality was unearthed.

Premised upon a superior drug molecule in favor of NK cells, it shows robust functional traits that activate NK cells at modest doses. Moreover, it presents favorable developmental prospects with high yield and stable performance, paving way for prospective combination drug exploration.

Given NK cells' considerable potential in tumor immunotherapy, their exploitation offers fresh vistas in treating diverse immune disease situations. They plan to foster collaborations to advance molecular optimization efforts and broaden NK cell immunotherapies utilizing BioMap's ImmuBot platform and Harbour BiMed's distinct full human antibody platform benefits.

Future plans encompass enhancing the collaboration to further accelerate tech-driven research and development integration. Meantime, we'll employ its target discovery engine to uncover new frontiers and expedite ground-breaking next-gen drug development.

BioMap's Liu Wei, Co-Founder and CEO, expressed his optimism: "We are dedicated to decode life via AI Foundation models. Our collaboration with HarbourMice® and Beacon® screens from Andbio has exhibited distinctive early-stage technical superiority, providing a treasure trove of high-quality data and design blueprint for the bio-computational engine, significantly marking up collaborative projects progress. We eagerly anticipate further interplay between the two entities, harnessing our robust platform capabilities to collectively develop the next generation of groundbreaking drugs and shape the trajectory of human health."

Harbour BioMed is a globally recognized biopharmaceuticals firm focusing on pioneering antibody therapies in oncology and immunology spaces. Boasting a world-leading fully humanized mouse antibody discovery platform and ongoing independent innovation capacity, they're globally championing revolutionary next-gen therapies. They've garnered numerous achievements and validations in immunity repression and escape, cell immune connectivity, antibody Drug Conjugates (ADC), among others.

Dr. Jinsong Wang, founder, chairman, and CEO of Harbour BioMed, stated, "The collaboration between Harbour BioMed and BioMap illustrates the potential of biopharmaceutical development under the empowerment of artificial intelligence, showcasing the wide applicability and collaborative nature of Harbour BioMed's technological platform. The robust biological computing capabilities of BioMap, combined with Harbour BioMed's innovative antibody development capabilities, mutually reinforce each other, further unlocking the value of both platforms and accelerating the research and development of innovative drugs. This collaboration offers new perspectives and impetus to the industry. We look forward to joining forces with BioMap to explore novel targets for the benefit of all."