Ono Pharmaceutical partners with Aitia to advance causal AI in neurological drug discovery
The approach is intended to support drug discovery in neurology, where diseases often arise from complex interactions involving genetic, developmental, neural network, immune and environmental factors.
USA—Japan-based Ono Pharmaceutical has entered into a drug discovery partnership with US biotechnology company Aitia to identify new therapeutic targets and biomarkers for neurological diseases using causal artificial intelligence (AI).
Under the agreement announced on September 2, Aitia will use its REFS technology to build Gemini Digital Twins (GDTs) of neurological diseases.
Ono will have an exclusive worldwide option to research, develop and commercialise drug candidates against targets identified through the collaboration.
Aitia’s REFS platform uses causal AI to analyse clinical and omics data and create virtual patient models that reflect real patient characteristics.
The models are designed to help researchers identify causal relationships between biological factors and disease, rather than relying only on correlations identified by conventional AI.
The approach is intended to support drug discovery in neurology, where diseases often arise from complex interactions involving genetic, developmental, neural network, immune and environmental factors.
By modelling these interactions, Aitia aims to identify previously unrecognised disease mechanisms, therapeutic targets and biomarkers.
Focus on neurological diseases
Aitia will apply its platform to patient data to develop digital models that can predict potential drug targets and disease biology.
The company said its technology could help address some of the challenges involved in understanding neurological diseases, where the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.
Seishi Katsumata, corporate officer and executive vice-president of Discovery and Research at Ono Pharmaceutical, said the company has a long-standing commitment to developing medicines for diseases with high unmet medical needs, including neurological conditions.
He said the partnership would allow Ono to use Aitia’s REFS technology to explore potential therapeutic targets in neurological diseases with complex and incompletely understood mechanisms.
Katsumata added that Ono expects the collaboration to support its efforts to expand its neurology research and development pipeline and develop new treatment options.
Colin Hill, chief executive officer and co-founder of Aitia, said the company would use its causal AI technology to build Gemini Digital Twins that could reveal disease mechanisms and therapeutic targets that conventional AI approaches may not identify.
Expanding Ono’s external partnerships
The agreement with Aitia follows another recent drug discovery partnership between Ono and Mediar Therapeutics focused on fibro-inflammatory diseases.
In August, Ono and the US biotechnology company agreed to collaborate on discovering novel antibody therapeutics for fibro-inflammatory diseases.
Mediar will contribute its antibody discovery capabilities and expertise in fibrosis biology, while Ono secured an exclusive worldwide option to develop, manufacture and commercialise candidates generated through the partnership.
The Mediar collaboration forms part of Ono’s efforts to strengthen its research and development pipeline in areas with significant unmet medical needs, including immunology and inflammation.
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