Immunai strikes $85M deal with AstraZeneca to develop new IBD drug target
AI biotech expands partnership after uncovering novel immune target with its machine learning platform.
Immunai, an Israeli AI biotech company mapping the human immune system, has signed a new agreement with AstraZeneca to develop a novel therapeutic target for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a debilitating autoimmune disorder affecting millions worldwide.
The target was discovered through Immunai’s Immunodynamics Engine (IDE), which leverages its proprietary immune cell atlas, AMICA, integrating clinically annotated single-cell multi-omics data with machine learning to model immune function and dysfunction.
Under the terms of the deal, AstraZeneca will obtain exclusive rights to develop and commercialize therapeutics directed at the newly identified target. Immunai will receive an upfront payment and could earn up to $85 million in total consideration tied to development milestones.
“Target discovery has always been a challenging process, especially in complex immune diseases like IBD,” said Noam Solomon, co-founder and CEO of Immunai. “Using an unbiased approach powered by AI and machine learning, our platform has identified an exciting novel target for IBD. This remains a debilitating condition for millions, and despite existing therapies, many patients continue to face uncontrolled symptoms, hospitalizations, and progressive complications.”
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Solomon called the new agreement “a turning point,” adding that Immunai’s technology does not just find targets, but helps “understand why they matter.”
This new milestone builds on a multi-year collaboration that began in 2022. In 2024, AstraZeneca invested $18 million to use Immunai’s platform and machine learning capabilities to inform oncology clinical trials, from dose selection and biomarker identification to analyzing patient response patterns.
Immunai employs 185 people, including 85 PhDs and MDs, and maintains more than 30 partnerships with Fortune 100 pharmaceutical companies and leading academic institutions.
