AbCellera and Empirico Announce Strategic Multi-Target Antibody Discovery Collaboration

AbCellera (Nasdaq: ABCL) and Empirico Inc. (“Empirico”) announced today that they have entered into a strategic multi-target discovery collaboration. Through each company’s proprietary technologies, the multi-target collaboration leverages hyper-scale datasets, machine learning, and advanced computation to both identify high-value, genetically-validated drug targets and discover novel therapeutic antibodies. Empirico will use its Precision Insights Platform, a human genetics-focused discovery platform, to select up to five therapeutic targets. AbCellera will use its AI-powered antibody discovery technology to search and analyze natural immune responses to identify antibodies with the desired therapeutic properties against the selected targets.

Under the terms of the agreement, Empirico will have the rights to develop and commercialize novel antibodies resulting from the collaboration. AbCellera will receive research payments and is eligible to receive downstream clinical and commercial milestone payments and royalties on net sales of products from Empirico.

“One of the biggest challenges in drug development is the lack of translation between preclinical models and human disease. Empirico’s platform seeks to overcome this hurdle by uncovering causal relationships between human genetic variation and clinical outcomes to discover and validate targets,” said Carl Hansen, Ph.D., CEO and President of AbCellera. “We are excited to partner with Empirico and serve as its operating system for developing new antibody-based therapies against genetically-validated targets.”

“Using our Precision Insights Platform, Empirico has discovered multiple genetically-validated targets for diseases with unmet medical need, several of which are amenable to modulation with therapeutic antibodies,” said Omri Gottesman, M.D., CEO and President of Empirico. “For these and future programs, our partnership with AbCellera empowers and enables us to rapidly translate therapeutic insights from human genetics into potential new medicines for patients in need.”

About Empirico Inc.

Empirico is a next-generation therapeutics company founded on utilizing human genetics, data science and programmable biology to power novel target discovery and development. Empirico’s Precision Insights Platform, a proprietary human genetics-focused discovery platform, leverages a world-leading dataset, hyperscale infrastructure and algorithmic approaches that encode and enhance human intuition to identify and prioritize therapeutic targets. All potential therapeutic targets are subjected to rigorous in vitro and in vivo experimental validation to elucidate the mechanism by which genetic variation impacts disease risk and provide insights about which therapeutic modality could be ‘programmed’ to mimic or interfere with that mechanism. Empirico is advancing multiple preclinical programs across a broad range of indications and therapeutic modalities, both independently and in collaboration with industry partners. Empirico is headquartered in San Diego, Calif. with laboratories in Madison, Wis. To learn more about Empirico, visit www.empiricotx.com.

About AbCellera Biologics Inc.

AbCellera is a technology company that searches, decodes, and analyzes natural immune systems to find antibodies that its partners can develop into drugs to prevent and treat disease. AbCellera partners with drug developers of all sizes, from large pharmaceutical to small biotechnology companies, empowering them to move quickly, reduce cost, and tackle the toughest problems in drug development. www.abcellera.com.

AbCellera Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. All statements contained in this release other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding our ability to develop, commercialize and achieve market acceptance of our current and planned products and services, our research and development efforts, and other matters regarding our business strategies, use of capital, results of operations and financial position, and plans and objectives for future operations.

In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the words “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors are described under "Risk Factors," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and elsewhere in the documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. We caution you that forward-looking statements are based on a combination of facts and factors currently known by us and our projections of the future, about which we cannot be certain. As a result, the forward-looking statements may not prove to be accurate. The forward-looking statements in this press release represent our views as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements for any reason, except as required by law.

Source: AbCellera Biologics Inc.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210414005756/en/