Molcure partners with Boehringer Ingelheim to accelerate AI-driven antibody drug discovery
MOLCURE Inc. has announced a multiyear strategic research agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim to discover innovative antibody therapeutics for multiple targets using the Japanese company’s proprietary artificial intelligence platform technology. The collaboration will combine MOLCURE’s AI-driven platform with Boehringer Ingelheim’s expertise in biologics development, aiming to expand the scope and efficiency of antibody drug discovery beyond what traditional methods have achieved.
Addressing limitations in conventional antibody discovery
Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies have established themselves as essential treatments across oncology, autoimmune diseases, and infectious diseases, with millions of patients worldwide already benefiting from mAb-based therapies. However, traditional antibody discovery methods remain complex and time-intensive, having explored only a fraction of the available design space for these molecules.
The partnership seeks to address these limitations by integrating AI technologies into the discovery workflow. MOLCURE has developed a proprietary platform centred on a large language model specifically designed for antibody engineering. This system will be combined with high-throughput experimental data generated by Boehringer Ingelheim to create a hybrid approach that merges wet-lab data with in silico modelling.
Custom-tuned language models for biologics design
The collaboration will utilise MOLCURE’s expertise in applying large language models to antibody discovery workflows. By customtuning the antibody LLM with experimental data from Boehringer Ingelheim, the partnership aims to design novel antibody sequences, including candidates that have been difficult to identify using conventional screening methods.
This approach is expected to enable broader and faster exploration and optimisation of antibody candidates, with the AI platform designed to deliver results from limited datasets—a significant advantage in early-stage drug discovery where data can be sparse.
Satoshi Tamaki, chief executive officer and chief scientific officer of MOLCURE
Inc., commented: “We are delighted that Boehringer Ingelheim has chosen MOLCURE as a partner in recognition of our AI technology’s ability to deliver strong results from limited data. We are excited to work alongside Boehringer Ingelheim’s scientists to further evolve our innovative AI-driven antibody discovery platform and make a significant contribution to their drug discovery programmes. I hope that our partnership will lead to new treatments that improve the prognosis and quality of life for patients around the world.”
Supporting first-in-class therapeutic development
The partnership aligns with Boehringer Ingelheim’s strategy to develop first-in-class therapies. By combining complementary capabilities in AI and biology, both organisations aim to accelerate the development of next-generation antibody drugs.
MOLCURE Inc., founded in 2013, specialises in AI-driven drug discovery for antibodies and peptides. The company’s platform integrates large language models, structure-based generative models, and high-quality experimental data from its in-house laboratories. MOLCURE is based in Japan, with headquarters in Kawasaki and a research facility in Tsuruoka.
