Generate Biomedicines Enters Up to $1 Billion Multi-Target Collaboration with Novartis to Use Generative AI for Protein Design

Generate:Biomedicines has announced a multi-target collaboration with Novartis to develop protein therapeutics using its generative AI platform. The deal, valued at over $1 billion with an upfront payment of $65 million, will combine Generate’s AI capabilities with Novartis' expertise in target biology and clinical development. The collaboration aims to develop first- and best-in-class molecules by leveraging AI-based optimization and de novo generation to address multiple disease areas. This is not Generate's first major partnership; its collaboration with Amgen, initiated in 2022, was expanded earlier this year.

At the heart of Generate’s approach is its proprietary Generate Platform, which integrates advanced machine learning models with high-throughput experimental validation to design novel proteins. The platform uses multiparameter co-optimization, allowing the simultaneous optimization of multiple aspects of a therapeutic protein's profile. For example, the company has successfully developed highly potent monoclonal antibodies, including an anti-IL-13 antibody for treating type-2 inflammation-mediated diseases like atopic dermatitis, as well as an anti-hemagglutinin (HA) antibody targeting influenza.

One of the platform’s major capabilities is its ability to generate de novo binders. These are molecules designed entirely by the computer without any existing templates, enabling Generate to target previously undruggable or hard-to-drug targets with controllable specificity. This technology has already been validated across nine distinct targets, demonstrating superior hit rates compared to traditional methods.

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Additionally, Generate has integrated advanced structural biology techniques into its AI learning loop, such as Cryo-Electron Microscopy (CryoEM). This approach generates high-resolution structural data that is used to iteratively train the platform, accelerating the optimization of therapeutic proteins. This integration of structural insights into the generative process has already resulted in faster and more reliable outcomes, showcasing the platform’s ability to refine and scale drug discovery.

In the ongoing collaboration with Amgen, Generate’s platform has been used to explore multispecific biologics, focusing on novel therapeutic proteins that can address complex disease mechanisms by targeting multiple biological pathways simultaneously.

Generate is also progressing its in-house clinical pipeline, specifically with the advancement of its Phase 1 study for GB-0669, a monoclonal antibody targeting the S2 stem helix, a highly conserved region of the spike protein in SARS-CoV‑2. The company has demonstrated safety across the first four of five planned cohorts, including the putative recommended dose. This phase 1 trial represents a critical step in evaluating the therapeutic’s efficacy, and analysis of key biomarkers is ongoing. In vitro studies have shown GB-0669 to have potent neutralization effects across all major SARS-CoV-2 variants tested to date, signaling its potential as a broad-spectrum antiviral agent.

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