HEIDELBERG, Germany, Oct. 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – BioMed X has officially launched its first joint research initiative with Sanofi, establishing a new research group at the BioMed X Institute in Heidelberg, Germany. This collaboration aims to develop a versatile computational platform designed to accurately predict the efficacy of first-in-class drug candidates within virtual patient populations.
The focus of this research partnership addresses a critical challenge in the pharmaceutical industry, where the failure rate of new drug candidates during clinical development can reach 90%. By leveraging digital data and artificial intelligence (AI), this project seeks to transform medical practices. Initial efforts will concentrate on chronic immune-mediated diseases, including atopic dermatitis (AD) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Christian Tidona, Founder and Managing Director of the BioMed X Institute, stated, “Over the past two years, we’ve amassed significant experience in artificial intelligence through our strategic partnership with AION Labs in Israel. Our collaboration with Sanofi allows us to further build our data science and AI expertise in Heidelberg, creating an optimal incubation environment for biomedical innovation that bridges academia and industry.”

Frank Nestle, Global Head of Research and Chief Scientific Officer at Sanofi, emphasized the importance of this collaboration, noting, “Identifying quality clinical candidates for patients with unmet needs is one of the most gratifying aspects of the research and development process. This groundbreaking partnership will enable us to collaborate with scientists possessing unique computational skills, advancing our mission to transform drug discovery and development through AI-based modeling and simulation.”

The two companies will jointly select a diverse team of early-career scientists to tackle this challenge, utilizing BioMed X’s unique recruitment model, which includes a global call for applications followed by a five-day innovation boot camp. The successful team will be hosted at the BioMed X Institute for up to five years. This institute, situated on the life sciences campus of the University of Heidelberg, is less than an hour’s drive from Sanofi’s Research & Development site in Frankfurt.

The new research group will join the existing 11 teams at the BioMed X Institute, which are focused on complex human ex-vivo models and data science in oncology, immunology, and neuroscience.

Interested candidates are encouraged to apply and submit project proposals via the BioMed X Career Space at BioMed X Career Space before January 8, 2023.

About BioMed X:
BioMed X is an independent research institute located on the University of Heidelberg campus in Germany. The institute collaborates with a global network of partners to tackle significant biomedical research challenges, blending global crowdsourcing with local incubation of top early-career research talent. Each research team at BioMed X has access to advanced research infrastructure and benefits from guidance by experienced mentors from both academia and industry, promoting breakthrough innovations in biomedical research through efficient, agile, and enjoyable methodologies.