Last Updated: 13 January 2025
Iktos, a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics for drug design, and Cube Biotech, a pioneer in membrane protein production and purification technologies, have announced a strategic collaboration to develop novel small molecule agonists targeting the Amylin Receptor.
By combining their unique strengths, the partnership aims to revolutionize drug discovery and address some of the most pressing health challenges in cardiometabolic disorders, including obesity and diabetes.
The collaboration merges Iktos’s generative AI technology with Cube Biotech’s advanced NativeMP™ membrane protein platform. Iktos has developed cutting-edge tools like Makya™ and Spaya™, which optimize molecule design and retrosynthesis. These solutions integrate seamlessly with Cube Biotech’s expertise in maintaining proteins’ natural configurations through their proprietary stabilization technologies.
The Amylin Receptor plays a critical role in regulating appetite and satiety, making it a promising target for addressing obesity and related disorders. Obesity currently affects more than one-third of the global population, creating a ripple effect of comorbidities like diabetes and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic hepatitis (MASH).
Despite the availability of GLP-1 receptor agonists and peptide Amylin analogues, such treatments are often expensive, less accessible, and associated with undesirable side effects.
Small molecule agonists for the Amylin Receptor could overcome these limitations. They offer the promise of cost-effective, scalable solutions that can significantly broaden patient access to treatment.
However, the structural complexity of the receptor has made discovering such molecules particularly challenging.
Iktos’s AI platform brings a new level of precision and efficiency to drug discovery. By incorporating protein flexibility into 3D molecule optimization, the platform overcomes many of the limitations seen in traditional models, such as AlphaFold. Cube Biotech’s NativeMP™ technology complements this by preserving membrane proteins’ biological integrity. This ensures the reliability of biophysical assays, accelerates structural analysis, and improves the success rates of drug discovery programs.
“By tackling one of the most pressing unmet needs in cardiometabolic disorders, our partnership with Cube Biotech aims to discover improved treatments for patients affected by obesity, diabetes, and related conditions. This collaboration represents a foundation for addressing even more challenging drug targets in the future.”
Yann Gaston-Mathé, Co-founder and CEO of Iktos
Why has targeting the Amylin Receptor been so difficult? The receptor’s structural and biological complexity creates a significant hurdle for researchers. Membrane proteins like the Amylin Receptor are notoriously difficult to produce, stabilize, and analyze.
This partnership addresses these challenges head-on by combining two complementary technologies: generative AI for molecule design and NativeMP™ for protein preservation.
This integrated approach has the potential to shorten timelines, reduce costs, and improve the chances of success in discovering effective therapies.
"Amylin Receptor is a challenging but highly promising target for metabolic disorders. With Iktos’s advanced AI capabilities and our expertise in protein stabilization, we’re redefining what’s possible in drug discovery. Together, we aim to set a new benchmark for innovation and efficiency.”
Dr. Barbara Maertens, Co-founder and COO of Cube Biotech
Both Iktos and Cube Biotech bring a wealth of expertise to this collaboration. Iktos has already demonstrated its impact on medicinal chemistry with innovations like its AI-driven synthesis automation platform, Iktos Robotics, which accelerates the Design-Make-Test-Analyze cycle in drug discovery. Cube Biotech, on the other hand, has built a reputation for its exceptional work in membrane protein research, offering a wide range of tools for protein purification and characterization.
This partnership is more than the sum of its parts. By integrating their technologies, Iktos and Cube Biotech aim to address not only the Amylin Receptor but also other complex and historically elusive targets, including G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), ion channels, and membrane transporters.
