Good News: Weiguang Gene and Decode Genetics have reached a strategic cooperation to jointly promote gene therapy drug R&D

Recently, Weiguang Gene (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. (Weiguang Gene), an alliance member, and Decode Genetics Technology Co., Ltd. (Decode Genetics), a subsidiary of Sanyou Group, have reached an agreement to establish a strategic partnership and jointly develop new gene therapy drugs. The cooperation aims to fully utilize the professional technical advantages of both parties and explore the deep integration of artificial intelligence AI, delivery vectors, and gene editing technologies to promote the application of AI technology in the field of gene therapy and to assist the industrial development of gene therapy in China. The cooperation will also receive strong support from the Artificial Intelligence Innovation Center of Tsinghua Pearl River Research Institute in AI algorithms, computing power, and massive storage.

 

The purpose of the Guangzhou Rare Disease Gene Therapy Alliance is to bring together the strengths of industry, academia, research, and medical professionals, break down information silos, integrate clinical and research resources for rare diseases, and utilize big data technologies such as bioinformatics and artificial intelligence to form systematic solutions. The alliance aims to empower the diagnosis and treatment industry for rare diseases and improve the level of gene therapy for rare diseases in China. We look forward to more communication and collaboration among the alliance members to jointly promote the development of this industry.

 

 

Weiguang Gene and Decode Genetics have reached a strategic cooperation

 

The combination of AI, delivery vectors, and gene editing represents dual disruptive technologies, which will pave the way for the development of an internationally leading gene therapy platform.

 

As an emerging biotechnology company, Decoding Gene has accelerated vector delivery development through artificial intelligence technology, and developed the AI-guided AAV capsid protein screening technology. The technology has established efficient and accurate AI prediction models in ophthalmology, neurology, hepatology, and other fields. It can provide customized design and screening of novel AAV vectors quickly. It is expected to become the first commercial application case of AI technology in AAV screening in China. The technology has won the highest award - Project Excellence Award - in the National Disruptive Technology Innovation Competition.

 

MicroGen is committed to developing and commercializing drugs for rare diseases, intractable diseases, and age-related diseases, with gene editing tools and cell-based gene therapy methods as its core. The company's team was one of the earliest to explore the application of CRISPR gene editing technology in the treatment of genetic diseases worldwide. At present, the company has successfully broken through the patent bottleneck in the field of gene editing and developed a new type of gene editing tool kit with underlying independent intellectual property rights that can be freely implemented globally. The tool kit includes gene editors, single-base editors, epigenetic editors, and other tools, which have reached international first-class level in multiple aspects such as protein size, editing efficiency, and off-target risk.

 

After thorough communication, both parties have come to a consensus to strongly integrate AI technology, vector screening, and gene editing technology to increase technology and funding inputs, and to develop novel gene therapy drugs.

 

Dr. Ren Sheng, Vice President of Decoding Gene, said, "As a commercialization company of the innovation achievements jointly developed by the Tsinghua Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of Technology and the Sany Group, we use 'dry experiments' to simulate 'wet experiments' to complete rapid screening that traditional methods cannot solve. Then, based on this, we conduct wet experiments to verify it. We rely on a powerful drug design and screening platform to evaluate and verify in vivo targeting. MicroGen combines its own editing tools to verify the delivery vector, accelerating the transformation from basic research to clinical application. Such collaboration is important and necessary, and every link is indispensable."

 

Dr. Hu Yang, CEO of MicroGen, mentioned, "For the biopharmaceutical industry, especially in the field of gene therapy, sincere cooperation and collaborative innovation are particularly important. In order to meet the clinical needs of drug development, we have joined forces with Decoding Gene to gradually break through the long-standing patent and technology bottleneck that has plagued the domestic gene therapy industry and actively promote the industrialization of technology methods. The transformation of the new delivery vector will help to ensure the accuracy, safety, and effectiveness of the target gene, such as gene editing tools, delivered to the human body; this is also one of the important ways to solve the technological bottleneck in the gene therapy industry. We are delighted to partner with Decoding Gene and hope to effectively broaden the breadth and depth of drug development cooperation to better address human health issues."

 

Regarding Decoding Gene

 

Guangzhou Decoding Gene Technology Co., Ltd. (referred to as Decoding Gene) was established in August 2022. It is a commercialization company of the innovation achievements jointly developed by the Tsinghua Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of Technology and the Sany Group, and specializes in providing AI-guided gene therapy vector design and screening technology services. It aims to achieve efficient and rapid customized AAV vectors that meet multi-target dimensions such as high yield and high tissue targeting, to meet the industry's demand for efficient, fast, and low-cost screening of suitable AAV vectors, and to help improve the drug development of gene therapy drugs using AAV as the delivery vector. Decoding Gene has completed the construction of the technology platform and the layout of core technology patents, and has great commercialization potential.

 

Regarding MicroGen

 

MicroGen was established in Suzhou in 2021, with gene editing tools and cell-based gene therapy methods as its core, dedicated to the development and commercialization of drugs for rare diseases, intractable diseases, and age-related diseases. The company's team has a profound accumulation in the fields of gene editing, protein science, aging, rare diseases, and other research areas, and has developed a new type of gene editing tool kit with underlying independent intellectual property rights that can be implemented freely worldwide. The company's product pipeline uses new gene editing tools, which synchronously and rapidly promote preclinical work, and the core pipeline has global scarcity.