Catalyst™ platform (AI-based genomics s/w, WhiteLab Genomics)

	Next higher product group	genomic software tools_o
	Status	2021-02-10 existent
	Organisation	WhiteLab Genomics (FR)

Généthon. (2/10/21). "Press Release: Genethon and WhiteLab Genomics Join Forces to Enhance Gene Therapy through Artificial Intelligence".

WhiteLab Genomics, a specialist in artificial intelligence applied to gene and cell therapies, has signed a partnership agreement with Genethon, a pioneering research center in the field of gene therapy. The alliance will harness the power of artificial intelligence to accelerate development of innovative gene therapies.

As part of this partnership, Genethon teams will use WhiteLab Genomics’ Catalyst™ platform to develop new capsids, or vectors, which are essential components for gene therapy products.

While several gene therapy products have already obtained market authorization for the treatment of rare and common diseases, which demonstrates the efficacy of this approach for conditions considered to be incurable, development of these complex therapies continues to face major scientific and technical hurdles. Many vectors used in gene therapy are derivatives of adeno-associated viruses (AAV). Their use has limitations: natural immunization of 30% to 40% of the population and difficulty targeting a specific tissue. As a result, extremely large quantities of vectors are necessary. In this context, the use of artificial intelligence solutions stands out as a deciding factor to overcome these obstacles and produce optimized vectors that better target the relevant tissues, thus making it possible to inject smaller quantities of product while maximizing the effect of the therapy.

Turning to AI for faster development of optimized vectors

Genethon’s teams will use WhiteLab Genomics’ Catalyst™ platform to accelerate select research programs.

Thanks to its Machine Learning algorithms, the WhiteLab Genomics platform will help researchers develop next-generation gene therapy vectors, with a view to enhancing their precision with regard to the tissues to be treated while reducing their immunogenic qualities.

“The tools developed by WhiteLab will make it possible for us to review thousands of sequences and devise new and innovative combinations. We aim to develop a new generation of more specific AAV vectors, contributing to the emergence of original treatments for neuromuscular disorders,” said Dr. Ronzitti, who is managing the collaboration for Genethon.

“We are thrilled to be working together with worldwide trailblazers and experts in the area of gene therapy,” stated David Del Bourgo, CEO and co-founder of WhiteLab Genomics. “France is a prime source of innovation in this field, and we look forward to helping research teams, in France and abroad, to make practical use of these extremely complex biological datasets, while also providing assistance to accelerate the development of optimized products.”