HeartBeat.bio partners with biotx.ai for heart failure targets
Austrian biotech HeartBeat.bio has partnered with German AI company biotx.ai to identify and validate novel therapeutic targets for heart failure treatment. The collaboration integrates biotx.ai’s genome-wide causal mapping platform with HeartBeat.bio’s human cardiac organoid technology, aiming to accelerate precision medicine development for the 30 million patients affected globally.
HeartBeat.bio AG and biotx.ai GmbH have announced a strategic alliance that combines artificial intelligence-driven target identification with human-based drug discovery platforms to address critical unmet needs in heart failure therapeutics. The partnership leverages complementary technologies to bridge the gap between genetic discoveries and functional validation in clinically relevant disease models.
Advanced genomics meets human cardiac biology
The collaboration centres on biotx.ai’s large-scale Mendelian randomisation platform, which applies causal inference methodologies to identify previously unrecognised genetic targets for heart failure. This approach utilises comprehensive datasets encompassing 9,539 genome-wide association studies with more than 22 million cases across over 3,000 diseases, testing all 23,280 human genes for causal relationships.
HeartBeat.bio will exclusively validate these AI-discovered targets using its proprietary Cardioid Drug Discovery Platform. This system employs human-derived cardiac organoids that recapitulate key physiological and pathological aspects of heart biology, offering enhanced translational predictability compared to traditional animal models.
Exclusive development rights and intellectual property framework
Under the licensing agreement, HeartBeat.bio secures exclusive rights to initiate internal drug discovery programmes or establish third-party co-development partnerships based on validated targets. All resulting intellectual property will be owned by HeartBeat.bio, whilst biotx.ai remains eligible for milestone payments and royalties on future therapeutic products.
“Our mission is to transform the way heart failure is treated by combining our human-based drug discovery platform with cutting-edge AI technologies,” said Michael Krebs, CEO of HeartBeat.bio. “This collaboration with biotx.ai allows us to explore the full potential of novel, genetically guided targets for therapeutic innovation.”
Addressing critical therapeutic gaps
Heart failure represents a significant clinical burden, affecting more than 30 million patients in major pharmaceutical markets and remaining a leading cause of mortality and hospitalisation. Despite recent therapeutic advances, many patients continue to lack effective treatment options, highlighting the urgent need for innovative approaches to drug discovery.
“biotx.ai is committed to turning complex biological data into actionable drug targets,” said Marco Schmidt, CEO of biotx.ai. “Partnering with HeartBeat.bio enables us to bridge the gap from causal genes to functional validation in a highly relevant human model. Together, we aim to accelerate the development of disease-modifying therapies for heart failure.”
Technology integration and development timeline
The partnership represents a convergence of computational biology and experimental validation technologies. HeartBeat.bio’s platform integrates iPSC-derived cardiac organoids with advanced automation and AI-driven analytics, enabling scalable human-centric drug discovery whilst reducing clinical failure rates and development timelines.
The Vienna-based company, founded in 2021, focuses on cardiomyopathies, myocardial fibrosis, and cardiac remodelling phenotypes prevalent in heart failure patients. biotx.ai, established in 2017 in Potsdam, has developed its causal mapping platform with support from SPRIN-D, Germany’s Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation.
