Phenomic AI

Phenomic AI is a biotechnology firm focused on developing antibody therapeutics for challenging solid tumors by targeting the tumor stroma. The company was founded in 2017 by Sam Cooper and Oren Kraus, who shared a background in applying machine learning to complex biological problems. Cooper's Ph.D. at the Institute of Cancer Research involved using AI to analyze automated microscopy images to understand drug effects on cells, while Kraus was developing deep-learning tools for similar tasks at the University of Toronto. They launched the company from Toronto, initially with a software focus, before pivoting to develop their own drug pipeline. In June 2022, Girish Aakalu, a veteran with experience at life sciences firms like Genocea, Ipsen, Pfizer, and Genentech, was appointed CEO, with Cooper transitioning to the CTO role to lead platform development.

The company's core asset is its scTx® platform, a sophisticated system that leverages machine learning to analyze single-cell transcriptomics data at a massive scale. This platform integrates vast amounts of curated single-cell RNA sequencing data—growing from 2 million to approximately 30 million cells—to identify novel drug targets within the complex cellular interactions of the tumor microenvironment, particularly the stroma. Phenomic AI's business model centers on leveraging this platform for both internal drug development and strategic collaborations with pharmaceutical companies. It generates revenue through upfront payments, research funding, and milestone payments from partnerships, with the potential for future royalties. The company has entered into significant collaborations, including a target identification and licensing agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim potentially worth over $500 million, and a research agreement with Astellas to enhance cell therapy approaches for solid tumors.

Phenomic AI's primary service is the discovery of druggable targets that are often missed by traditional methods, which historically do not account for the cellular diversity in tumors. The platform analyzes imaging, RNA sequencing, and spatial transcriptomics data to understand how various cell types interact within a tumor, allowing for the identification of targets that can disrupt the supportive stromal barrier. Its lead program is a CD3 engager antibody that uses a targeting approach identified by the scTx® platform, designed to overcome the limitations of conventional tumor-associated antigens. After identifying targets, the company uses a system of human tumor explants and other models to test its drugs, providing translational insights early in the discovery process. This approach aims to improve the clinical translation rate for drugs targeting hard-to-treat cancers like colorectal, pancreatic, and breast cancer.

Keywords: oncology drug discovery, antibody therapeutics, tumor stroma, single-cell transcriptomics, machine learning in biotech, computational biology, solid tumors, cancer therapies, drug target identification, phenotypic screening, immuno-oncology, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, Astellas collaboration, Boehringer Ingelheim partnership, CD3 engager, scTx platform, multi-cell systems, tumor microenvironment, antibody discovery, computational drug discovery, preclinical studies, biopharmaceutical, cancer research, cell therapy