UCB partners with Ailux Biologics, a Division of XtalPi, on Biologics AI Platform

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and BRUSSELS, Jan. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- UCB, a global biopharmaceutical company, and XtalPi, a global leader in AI drug discovery, today announced a license agreement on XtalFoldâ„¢, a biologics AI platform developed by Ailux Biologics, a division of XtalPi.

Under the agreement, Ailux Biologics grants UCB a non-exclusive license to leverage XtalFoldâ„¢ for the discovery and engineering of biologics. XtalFoldâ„¢ is a proprietary AI-based software suite that provides rapid and accurate structural insights to accelerate biologics innovation across multiple phases.

"UCB has long been a pioneer in leveraging computation to develop highly differentiated biologics that benefit patients." stated Jian Ma, CEO of XtalPi, "We are proud to contribute to their efforts in creating therapies that transform lives." Yi (Alex) Li, VP of XtalPi and Head of Ailux Biologics, said: "The recent Nobel Prize highlighted the groundbreaking impact of protein structure prediction. XtalFoldâ„¢ exemplifies this innovation, offering a commercially validated solution with rapid industry adoption. We're excited to join forces with UCB to further explore its potential."

XtalFoldâ„¢ utilizes sequence information alone to model the interaction between biomolecules, which forms the foundation of biotherapeutics like monoclonal antibodies. In rigorous benchmark studies, XtalFoldâ„¢ achieved state-of-the-art performance in terms of overall success rate and the quality of hard-to-model regions like the antibody-antigen interface. XtalFoldâ„¢ has been licensed to multiple global pharmaceutical companies and has delivered highly impactful results in a variety of projects, including antigen design, epitope identification, affinity maturation, pH-sensitivity engineering, and bispecifics design.

"UCB have a strong legacy of antibody discovery and engineering. We have established unique and powerful single-B cell screening and in vitro display discovery technologies to support hit identification and are pioneers in structure-based and computer-aided optimisation of molecules. The XtalFoldâ„¢ license takes this further, integrating antibody-antigen structural insights into the entire antibody discovery and optimisation workflow," said Daniel Lightwood, Head of Antibody Discovery and Optimisation. Alexander Hillisch, Head of Global CADD, UCB added, "Our decision to license this tool comes after extensive testing and evaluation against other computational approaches and we believe it has the potential to enhance UCB's ability to rapidly and efficiently discover high quality therapeutic antibody candidates and ultimately deliver new medicines to patients."

About UCB

UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb.com) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines and solutions to transform the lives of people living with severe diseases of the immune system or of the central nervous system. With approximately 9,000 people in approximately 40 countries, the company generated revenue of €5.3 billion in 2023. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB). Follow us on Twitter: @UCB_news.

About XtalPi

XtalPi ("XtalPi Holdings Limited", stock code: 2228.HK) is a quantum physics-based, AI-powered, and robotics-driven, innovative R&D platform company. Established in 2015 by three physicists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the company is dedicated to driving intelligent and digital transformation in the life sciences and materials sciences sectors. XtalPi combines quantum physics, AI, cloud computing, and large-scale robotics to provide R&D solutions and services for biomedicine, chemical, renewable energy and advanced materials industries globally.

About Ailux Biologics

Ailux Biologics is a division of XtalPi ("XtalPi Holdings Limited", stock code: 2228.HK)  dedicated to the innovation in large molecule drug discovery. With a team of around 100 experts, Ailux has established a state-of-the-art biologics discovery lab, a proprietary database purpose-built for AI (AtlaXâ„¢) and a trio of AI platforms, including a structure modeling suite (XtalFoldâ„¢), a generative large language model for proteins (XenProTâ„¢) and a predictive AI suite for biologics (Xentientâ„¢). Ailux partners with pharma and biotech companies to accelerate their biologics programs with AI-powered, lab-validated solutions. To learn more, visit https://ailuxbio.com/ and follow @Ailux Biologics on Linkedin.

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

UCB partners with Ailux Biologics, a Division of XtalPi, on Biologics AI Platform

Driving Global Action to Protect Coral Reef with Innovative Financing, AI Monitoring, and Collaboration

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Saudi Arabia has officially assumed the Secretariat of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) for its 14th term, marking a significant milestone in global coral reef conservation. ICRI represents 102 members including 45 countries that are custodians of 75% of the world's coral reefs.

The Kingdom's leadership for this three-year term was confirmed by ICRI members during the 38th General Meeting in September 2024, succeeding the United States. Saudi Arabia will lead this historic role through the General Organization for the Conservation of Coral Reefs and Turtles in the Red Sea (SHAMS). The virtual handover ceremony featured distinguished attendees, including Ambassador Peter Thomson, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean, along with representatives from IUCN, UN Environment Program, NOAA, the U.S. Department of State and other distinguished entities.

Coral reefs, which sustain 25% of the world's marine biodiversity, contribute an estimated US$9.9 trillion annually in goods and services, highlighting their immense ecological and economic value.

ICRI members are working under Saudi Arabia's leadership to develop the 2025–2027 Action Plan. The plan aims to expand membership to include 90% of the world's coral reefs, integrating resilient reef management into global policies and enhancing national biodiversity strategies. Key priorities include boosting the blue economy, advancing reef monitoring with innovative technologies, and utilizing insights from the upcoming "Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2025" report. Other notable initiatives include the launch of ICRI's Youth Strategy, strengthening collaboration in the Red Sea, South Asia and East Africa regions, and raising global awareness through major events such as the UN Ocean Conference.

This milestone underscores Saudi Arabia's commitment to environmental stewardship, aligning with Vision 2030's ambitious sustainability goals and economic diversification strategy. It also complements the recently launched National Strategy for Red Sea Sustainability, announced by H.R.H. Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, which reinforces the Kingdom's dedication to conserving the Red Sea's unique marine ecosystems and creating a sustainable blue economy.

Dr. Khaled Asfahani, CEO of SHAMS and Chair of ICRI, emphasized the significance of this role: "Saudi Arabia's role as ICRI Secretariat underscores our unwavering commitment to a sustainable future for coral reefs worldwide. We are deeply grateful to ICRI members for their trust and recognition in selecting Saudi Arabia to lead this critical global initiative. Through this leadership, we aim to set new benchmarks in coral reef conservation, leveraging science, innovation, and collaboration to drive both national and international initiatives. Our goal is to protect these vital ecosystems, ensuring their resilience for future generations while maintaining their invaluable contributions to the global economy."

About SHAMS 

The General Organization for the Conservation of Coral Reefs and Turtles in the Red Sea (SHAMS) is the governmental body mandated to regulate, oversee, and ensure the sustainable management of Saudi Arabia's exceptional and one of the world's most resilient coral reefs and sea turtle ecosystems in the Red Sea. Empowered by its mandate, SHAMS leads groundbreaking research, implements large-scale restoration projects, and develops sustainable management frameworks to safeguard these critical ecosystems.

For more visit: http://shams.gov.sa

About ICRI 

The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) is a global partnership between Nations and organisations that strives to preserve coral reefs and related ecosystems around the world.  The Initiative was founded in 1994 and has since grown to a network of 102 members, including 45 countries who represent over 75% of the world's coral reefs.

For more visit: www.icriforum.org

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

Saudi Arabia Assumes Leadership of Global Coral Reef Conservation as ICRI Secretariat Commences