Words by Jade Williams
Eli Lilly has entered into a partnership worth $415m with Alchemab Therapeutics, a UK-based biopharmaceutical company, for its antibody currently being prepared for clinical testing in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Alchemab’s discovery platform uses advanced machine learning and antibody sequencing to find naturally occurring antibodies linked to disease resistance. The approach combines computational analysis with lab-based validation and draws from over 6,000 high-quality human samples.
The ALS candidate ATLX-1282 was identified from individuals carrying genetic mutations associated with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) who have remained healthy into old age. These samples came from the GENFI consortium, which maintains the largest global cohort of FTD patients
“This is a landmark transaction for Alchemab,” said Dr. Jane Osbourn, CEO, Alchemab in a press release. “With Lilly’s deep expertise in neurological conditions, they are ideally placed to speedily advance ATLX-1282 through the clinic, and maximise the potential to help patients. We believe this innovative programme has enormous promise and look forward to working with Lilly to bring this to fruition.”
This deal builds on a broader research collaboration between Alchemab and Lilly, announced in January 2025, to discover and develop up to five new ALS treatments.
