LVMH Beauty’s R&D Division LVMH Recherche has formed a strategic research partnership with biotech company Integrated Biosciences to “discover novel chemical entities that target ageing at the molecular level.”
US-based Integrated Biosciences is a biotechnology company that pioneers the use of synthetic biology and machine learning to “develop next-generation therapeutics for age-related diseases”
In October, the firm closed a $17.2m seed financing.
Using its combination of proprietary AI and optogenetics platforms, Integrated Biosciences said it “can train state-of-the-art deep learning models to virtually screen hundreds of thousands of molecules, identifying the most promising first-in-class chemical compounds that potently modulate age-related biological phenotypes.”
The company, which was founded by scientists at MIT, Harvard University, and the University of California Santa Barbara, has reported on its drug discovery engine in leading scientific journals, including Nature Aging, Nature and Cell Systems.
It has pioneered the AI-driven discovery of novel senolytic compounds – anti-ageing chemical entities that “selectively clear pathological senescent ‘zombie’ cells.”
“To transform how people age”
The firm said it was excited to combine its proprietary technology platform with LVMH Recherche’s scientific programmes. It planned to use its ability to control biological stress responses to develop novel, targeted bioactive molecules.
“Our combined efforts have the potential to unlock biologically functional products that could transform how people age,” the firm stated.
President of LVMH Recherche Bruno Bavouzet said: “This represents a unique opportunity to evaluate thousands of potential bioactives concurrently, revolutionising the pace of our research for the benefit of all our brands, amongst them our flagship – Maison Parfums Christian Dior.”
He said that by combining LVMH’s skin research expertise with Integrated Biosciences' AI and ageing research it was “taking a decisive step in understanding and molecularly addressing age-related cellular pathways.”
Co-founder and CEO of Integrated Biosciences, Felix Wong, said this collaboration represents “a significant step forward in our shared commitment to combating ageing through cutting-edge science.”
“Our combined efforts have the potential to unlock biologically functional products that could transform how people age,” he said.