Pentabind: AI Enhanced Aptamers Redefining Drug Discovery

Written by Giovanni Maresca, edited by Natasha Barrow and Caroline Babisz.

‍

In the complex world of drug discovery, small molecules are a cornerstone, accounting for 90% of all treatments currently available to patients [1]. Despite their prevalence, there are instances where these conventional medications do not provide the desired outcomes, underscoring the urgent need for innovative therapeutic approaches.

‍

PentaBind, a biotech start-up from London, aims to drug the undruggable, targeting diseases that have long been considered beyond the reach of conventional drug discovery methods. Recognising that only 15% of the human proteome has been effectively targeted by existing drugs [2], they are pioneering a novel therapeutic approach that combines the high specificity of aptamers with the power of artificial intelligence (AI).

‍

The company is at the forefront of developing aptamer-based therapeutic drugs, leveraging the synergy of generative AI and integrated wet laboratory techniques. Aptamers, short strands of laboratory-engineered DNA, are designed to precisely fit disease-causing proteins, akin to a key fitting into a lock, thus halting the progression of the disease with high specificity. What sets PentaBind apart is their ground-breaking approach to drug design. While traditional wet labs might focus on a single aspect of aptamer development, PentaBind's AI-driven technology is capable of concurrently designing highly tunable  and successful therapeutic aptamers. This process not only streamlines development but also significantly reduces up to 20x  the time and cost needed to deploy a therapeutic.

Conventional methods in aptamer design explore just a fraction of the potential search space, often likened to finding a needle in an astronomically-large haystack. PentaBind's AI, however, transforms this scenario. By employing innovative wet laboratory data generation methods, they have created a platform that can navigate this vast space more efficiently. This approach dramatically reduces the size of the 'haystack,' enabling the AI to identify aptamers with the desired properties more effectively.

PentaBind's journey so far is marked by significant milestones. Established in 2022, they secured pre-seed funding to operate in a lean fashion. Since then, they've developed a cutting-edge AI platform, complemented by an extensive dataset that is already one of the largest of its kind.

‍

The Team & Mission

The synergy between PentaBind’s founding team is the foundation upon which the company is built. Rory Ryan, the CEO, holds extensive experience in both engineering and business. His journey includes leading an aptamer diagnostics company for six years (three years of which he was based in China’s Silicon Valley, Shenzhen), culminating in a successful personal buyout in 2021, and his studies at Imperial College Business School. Dr. Miguel Gonzalez, the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, adds a layer of technical expertise with his background in complex systems simulation, evolutionary computation, and artificial intelligence. His role is instrumental in fortifying PentaBind's AI strategies, supported by his rich data science experience, which includes a past role as a senior data scientist at Vodafone. Phil Haynes, the CTO, rounds out the team with his deep expertise in nucleic acid technologies and early-stage drug discovery. His knowledge, cultivated through his PhD in physics at UCL and Imperial College London, and collaborations with esteemed institutions like AstraZeneca, is vital to Pentabind's innovative approach. Phil is responsible for overseeing the wet lab and its automation, and the drug discovery pipeline.

‍

The inception of PentaBind is a story of serendipity, shared vision, and a collective drive to fill a crucial gap in the medical field. Phil and Rory first crossed paths at the Entrepreneur First program in London, where a shared mission quickly became the foundation of their partnership. Phil's personal experiences as a carer, coupled with the noticeable absence of precision medicine tools in healthcare, ignited a passion to create meaningful change. This vision laid the foundation for PentaBind. Miguel holds a PhD in Evolutionary Systems from the University of Southampton, initially joining as the first employee and earning a position as co-founder, he brought a new dimension to the team. Miguel further developed his skills as an industry data scientist at Vodafone, before deciding to apply his AI expertise to challenges in tech bio. Already exploring similar ideas independently, Miguel found his aspirations resonating deeply with Phil and Rory's mission. His integration into the team not only complemented their skill sets but also solidified PentaBind's direction, paving the way for innovative solutions in drug discovery. Together, they create an environment where innovation flourishes, where each idea is valued, and where the pursuit of transforming healthcare for the better is a collective journey.

Funding & The Future 

Looking to the future, PentaBind is poised for significant growth. The company is currently in the midst of their first  funding round, with a lead investor already on board and funds received, and are actively looking for additional investors to join the round. The capital infusion originating from the round will be vital for the expansion and scale-up of PentaBind’s operations. Parallel to these fundraising efforts, PentaBind is also embarking on a hiring process, seeking skilled professionals for six roles:

1. Senior Drug Discovery Strategist: This desk-based (non-wet-lab) position will focus on disease strategy and preclinical design in the context of an early-stage AI drug discovery company.‍
2. Junior Biopharmaceutical Scientist (wet lab): Support the design and development of an aptamer selection (SELEX) pipeline in the context of an early-stage AI drug discovery company. This includes high-throughput SELEX, next-generation sequencing, PCR, and QC for both nucleic acids and proteins.
3. ‍Senior Biopharmaceutical Scientist (wet lab): Oversee all operations within PentaBind’s wet-laboratory. This includes high-throughput SELEX, next-generation sequencing, PCR, and QC for both nucleic acids and proteins.‍
4. Business Development: Spearhead sales growth and forge commercial partnerships with PentaBind's aptamer design for service subsidiary business, distinct from their parent company's therapeutic drug focus.‍
5. Junior Data Scientist and AI Developer: Support the development and testing of models, experiment with different embedding and feature engineering approaches for aptamers. Interpret data from wet lab and customise data ingestion for different sources.‍
6. Operations Associate:  This role will support the C Suite’s activities and company operations including recruitment processes and administrative tasks, working closely with the CEO, CTO and Chief AI Officer.

These new team members will play an instrumental role in propelling PentaBind towards its goal of creating novel therapies for previously untreatable conditions. For those interested in learning more about PentaBind’s pioneering work or exploring opportunities to join their team, visit the PentaBind website or contact contact@pentabind.com

‍

References

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4513659/

[2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359644624000163