Crystal Technology (02228) signs a large molecular drug discovery AI platform licensing agreement with Youshibi.

On January 9, 2025, Jiangtai Technology (02228) announced that its subsidiary Ailux Biologics has signed a large molecule drug discovery AI platform licensing agreement with the Belgium-based multinational biopharmaceutical company UCB. According to the agreement, Jiangtai Technology has granted UCB commercial authorization to use Ailux Biologics' independently developed XtalFold AI platform for the discovery and engineering design of large molecule drugs. XtalFold is an AI-based software platform that provides fast and accurate structural information for the development of large molecule drugs, accelerating innovation in multiple research and development stages. XtalFold models the interactions between biological macromolecules based on sequence information, which are the basis for the efficacy of large molecule drugs such as monoclonal antibodies. In rigorous benchmark tests, XtalFold has demonstrated industry-leading performance in overall success rate and quality of difficult-to-model areas (such as antibody-antigen interfaces). XtalFold has been licensed to multiple global pharmaceutical companies and has played a key role in various research and development projects, including antigen design, epitope recognition, affinity maturation, pH sensitivity modification, and bispecific antibody design. "UCB is a leading international pharmaceutical company and a pioneer in using computational methods to design differentiated drugs for the benefit of patients," said Ma Jian, CEO of Jiangtai Technology. "We are honored to empower UCB's research and development work with Jiangtai Technology's AI protein structure prediction algorithm, helping them create more innovative drugs that change the fate of patients." Li Yi, Vice President of Jiangtai Technology and head of Ailux Biologics, stated: "The recent Nobel Prize in Protein Structure Prediction reflects the industrialization of this technology. As a commercially verified solution, XtalFold is rapidly gaining popularity within the industry. We are delighted to collaborate with UCB to further explore its potential." "UCB has a strong foundation in antibody discovery and engineering. We have established a unique and efficient single B cell screening and in vitro display discovery technology to support early molecule discovery, and we are leaders in the field of structure and computational-assisted molecular optimization. The introduction of XtalFold will further advance our research and development technology, integrating structural insights into the entire antibody discovery and optimization process," said Daniel Lightwood, head of antibody discovery and optimization at UCB. Alexander Hillisch, Global Head of Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD) at UCB, added: "After thorough testing and comparison with other computational methods, we have decided to introduce XtalFold. We believe it will significantly enhance UCB's ability to rapidly discover high-quality antibody drugs, ultimately bringing new treatment options to patients."