Algen Biotechnologies grants AstraZeneca a $555 million license to develop therapies discovered using its AI-driven gene-editing platform. AstraZeneca gains exclusive rights to develop and sell approved therapies targeting immune system-related disorders, part of its strategy to reach $80 billion in sales by 2030.

AstraZeneca’s respiratory and immunology portfolio generated $4.23 billion in sales in the first half of 2025, accounting for around 15% of total revenue. In March, the company agreed to acquire Belgian biotech EsoBiotec for up to $1 billion, expanding its capabilities in modifying immune cells.

Despite the agreement, AstraZeneca will not be acquiring a stake in Algen. The biotech company, backed by investors like Viking Global and Illumina, has raised $11 million in funding and is prepared to scale its programs at the next fundraising round. Algen’s AI platform, AlgenBrain, maps genes to disease outcomes to guide targeted therapy development.

Algen was founded from the UC Berkeley lab where Jennifer Doudna, Nobel Prize winner for CRISPR technology, conducted research. The collaboration with AstraZeneca aims to leverage the companies’ expertise in translational science and clinical development to accelerate the discovery of novel therapies. The Financial Times first reported the partnership.

Read more at Yahoo Finance: AstraZeneca signs up to $555 million AI deal with Algen to develop therapies