AstraZeneca and Algen Biotechnologies Sign $555 Million Deal for CRISPR-AI Powered Immunology Drug Discovery

October 6, 2025

Details

  • Announced on October 6, 2025, the partnership is valued at up to $555 million, including upfront and milestone payments.
  • AstraZeneca will leverage Algen Biotechnologies’ CRISPR-plus-AI platform to identify new drug targets for multiple immunology conditions.
  • Algen’s technology manipulates billions of RNA sequences in human cells and employs machine learning to connect gene expression changes to disease pathways.
  • Algen, a YC Winter 2020 graduate, will focus on target identification and early validation, while AstraZeneca manages optimization, clinical trials, and global sales.
  • Algen stands to receive tiered royalties on any resulting products, creating aligned incentives throughout the product development lifecycle.

Impact

This deal intensifies the race among pharmaceutical giants to secure partnerships with AI genomics startups, following major tie-ups like Roche-Recursion and Novartis-Insitro. By combining CRISPR-based screening with advanced predictive models, the collaboration could significantly accelerate immunology drug discovery timelines. AstraZeneca’s move also reflects a broader industry trend of shifting toward platform-based partnerships and investing in next-generation AI-driven biotech innovation.

Read more