Selvita and Ardigen Will Receive Funding for the Development of an AI-based High-content Screening Platform

KRAKOW, Poland, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Selvita S.A. (WSE: SLV) - one of the largest preclinical contract research organizations in Europe, has signed a grant agreement with the National Centre for Research and Development for the development of a cell-based phenotypic platform based on high content imaging system integrated with artificial intelligence data analysis for multiple therapeutic areas, including neuroinflammatory and fibrosis drug discovery (HiScAI - High Content Screening Artificial Intelligence).

The grant will be executed in a consortium with Ardigen – bioinformatics company harnessing advanced Artificial Intelligence methods for novel precision medicine.

This grant provides Selvita and Ardigen with almost EUR 1.05 million of non-dilutive financing. Total net value of the project amounts to EUR 1.85 million and the anticipated project duration is over the next three years.

Selvita and Ardigen will create the HiScAI Technology Platform,  dedicated to the study of phenotypic changes in cells treated with a drug candidate, using machine learning and artificial intelligence to analyze the data from HCS. The platform will be used to test new drugs in multiple therapeutic areas, including neuroinflammatory and fibrotic diseases, as well as other, addressing specific limitations of existing therapeutic approaches.

Selvita will be responsible for the development of two sets of cellular tests from specified therapeutic areas capable of generating images for artificial intelligence system analysis. The phenotypic changes in the cells will be analyzed using the HCS technology.

The HiScAl Technology Platform created in cooperation with Ardigen will allow us to complement our integrated drug discovery portfolio of services with a new, powerful method to discover and develop new drugs in a fast and effective manner. We hope, that for our customers, this can be a step forward to acceleration of the nomination of clinical candidates in areas of high unmet medical needs – said Edyta Jaworska, Management Board Member, Integrated Drug Discovery at Selvita.

Within this project, Ardigen will develop an advanced Computer Vision platform that enables fast
and precise inference on images streaming from HCS platform

Data from high-content screens are a rich source of information. Advanced machine learning methods allow to detect image-based signatures of compounds, diseases, or genes. The HCS platform will empower researchers in drug discovery - comments director of Ardigen AI Labs - Michał Warchoł, Ph.D. 

Development of the platform will strengthen Selvita's and Ardigen's technological offer aimed at pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies aiming to accelerate their drug discovery efforts with the use of Artificial Intelligence.

About Selvita

Selvita is an integrated service company providing multidisciplinary support in resolving the unique challenges of research within area of drug discovery, regulatory studies, as well as research and development.

The company was established in 2007 and currently employs almost 500 professionals, of which over 1/3 hold PhD title. Selvita is headquartered in Krakow, Poland, with a second research site in Poznan, Poland and foreign offices located in Cambridge, MA and South San Francisco, in the U.S., as well as in Cambridge, UK. The company has a proven track record of successfully completed projects and customers in 40 countries. Majority of Company revenues come from pharma, biotech and agro-chemical companies from the US and Europe. Selvita is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE: SLV).

About Ardigen

Ardigen is harnessing advanced Artificial Intelligence methods for novel precision medicine. The company accelerates therapy development by decoding microbiome, designing immunity and providing digital drug discovery services. Ardigen's team is rooted in biology and holds deep expertise in bioinformatics, machine learning, and software engineering. The company's in-house datasets together with platforms for immunology, biomarker, and microbiome research can empower effective pharmaceuticals development.

Contacts:

Natalia Baranowska| Selvita S.A.
+48-784-069-418
natalia.baranowska@selvita.com

Barbara Wyroba | Ardigen S.A.
+48-539-730-118
barbara.wyroba@ardigen.com

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SOURCE Selvita