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Genethon and WhiteLab Genomics Join Forces to Enhance Gene Therapy Through Artificial Intelligence

February 10, 2021 Off By BusinessWire

PARIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–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^TM 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^TM 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.”

About White Lab Genomics

Founded in 2019 by David Del Bourgo, Julien Cottineau and Lucia Cinque, WhiteLab Genomics is a French start-up specializing in artificial intelligence solutions dedicated to biotherapies, such as gene and cell therapies. The company’s proprietary technology allows for multi-parameter analysis of complex biological data to optimize these treatments while reducing development costs. WhiteLab Genomics provides this unique technology to its clients via the Catalyst™ platform, available in SaaS mode. Today, the start-up has locations at the Evry Génopole – France’s first biocluster – and at Station F. WhiteLab Genomics was recently ranked among Station F’s “Future 40,” an index of the 40 most promising companies within Europe’s largest start-up incubator. https://www.whitelabgx.com

About Genethon

Created by AFM-Telethon, Genethon is a non-profit research and development center dedicated to creating gene therapy products for rare diseases, from initial research to clinical validation. Genethon has several programs underway, in clinical, pre-clinical and research phases, to treat rare muscular, blood, immune system and liver disorders. Today, a product incorporating technologies developed thanks to Genethon’s pioneering research is available on the market in the United States, Europe and Japan to treat spinal muscular atrophy. Ten other products created through Genethon R&D, alone or in collaboration with partners, are at the clinical trial stage, while many more are slated to begin clinical trials in 2021 and 2022. Genethon.fr