Astellas and MBC BioLabs Announce the 2025 Astellas Future Innovator Prize Awarded to DeepSeq.AI & Serna Bio
Astellas Pharma (ALPMY) and MBC BioLabs have announced DeepSeq.AI and Serna Bio as the winners of the 2025 Astellas Future Innovator Prize. Selected from over 50 applications, both companies will receive one-year priority access to MBC BioLabs' state-of-the-art facility in San Francisco, along with access to Astellas' R&D capabilities and business expertise.
The winners were chosen based on their innovative approaches, therapeutic potential, and platform scalability. DeepSeq.AI focuses on oncology and infectious diseases, while Serna Bio specializes in CNS research. This marks the sixth year of the award program, which aims to support early-stage life-science companies in advancing their research into viable treatments.
Astellas Pharma (ALPMY) e MBC BioLabs hanno annunciato DeepSeq.AI e Serna Bio come vincitori del Premio Astellas Future Innovator 2025. Selezionate tra oltre 50 candidature, entrambe le aziende riceveranno un accesso prioritario di un anno alla struttura all'avanguardia di MBC BioLabs a San Francisco, oltre all'accesso alle capacità di ricerca e sviluppo e all'esperienza commerciale di Astellas.
I vincitori sono stati scelti in base ai loro approcci innovativi, al potenziale terapeutico e alla scalabilità delle loro piattaforme. DeepSeq.AI si concentra su oncologia e malattie infettive, mentre Serna Bio è specializzata nella ricerca sul sistema nervoso centrale. Questo segna il sesto anno del programma di premi, che mira a sostenere le aziende di scienze della vita in fase iniziale nel portare avanti le loro ricerche verso trattamenti concreti.
Astellas Pharma (ALPMY) y MBC BioLabs han anunciado a DeepSeq.AI y Serna Bio como ganadores del Premio Innovador Futuro Astellas 2025. Seleccionadas entre más de 50 solicitudes, ambas compañías recibirán acceso prioritario durante un año a las instalaciones de última generación de MBC BioLabs en San Francisco, junto con acceso a las capacidades de I+D y experiencia empresarial de Astellas.
Los ganadores fueron elegidos por sus enfoques innovadores, potencial terapéutico y escalabilidad de la plataforma. DeepSeq.AI se enfoca en oncología y enfermedades infecciosas, mientras que Serna Bio se especializa en investigación del sistema nervioso central. Este es el sexto año del programa de premios, que busca apoyar a empresas emergentes de ciencias de la vida en el avance de sus investigaciones hacia tratamientos viables.
Astellas Pharma(ALPMY)와 MBC BioLabs가 2025년 Astellas Future Innovator 상의 수상자로 DeepSeq.AI와 Serna Bio를 발표했습니다. 50개 이상의 지원서 중에서 선정된 두 회사는 샌프란시스코에 위치한 MBC BioLabs의 최첨단 시설을 1년간 우선 이용할 수 있으며, Astellas의 연구개발 역량과 비즈니스 전문성도 지원받게 됩니다.
수상자는 혁신적인 접근법, 치료 가능성, 플랫폼 확장성을 기준으로 선정되었습니다. DeepSeq.AI는 종양학과 감염병에 집중하며, Serna Bio는 중추신경계 연구를 전문으로 합니다. 이 상은 초기 단계 생명과학 기업이 연구를 실질적인 치료제로 발전시키도록 지원하는 프로그램으로, 올해로 6년째를 맞이합니다.
Astellas Pharma (ALPMY) et MBC BioLabs ont annoncé DeepSeq.AI et Serna Bio comme lauréats du Prix Astellas Future Innovator 2025. Sélectionnées parmi plus de 50 candidatures, les deux entreprises bénéficieront d'un accès prioritaire d'un an aux installations de pointe de MBC BioLabs à San Francisco, ainsi qu'à l'expertise en R&D et en affaires d'Astellas.
Les gagnants ont été choisis pour leurs approches innovantes, leur potentiel thérapeutique et la scalabilité de leurs plateformes. DeepSeq.AI se concentre sur l'oncologie et les maladies infectieuses, tandis que Serna Bio est spécialisée dans la recherche sur le système nerveux central. Il s'agit de la sixième édition de ce programme de prix, qui vise à soutenir les entreprises en phase de démarrage dans le domaine des sciences de la vie pour faire progresser leurs recherches vers des traitements viables.
Astellas Pharma (ALPMY) und MBC BioLabs haben DeepSeq.AI und Serna Bio als Gewinner des Astellas Future Innovator Preises 2025 bekannt gegeben. Aus über 50 Bewerbungen ausgewählt, erhalten beide Unternehmen ein einjähriges bevorzugtes Zugangsrecht zu den hochmodernen Einrichtungen von MBC BioLabs in San Francisco sowie Zugang zu den F&E-Kapazitäten und der Geschäftsexpertise von Astellas.
Die Gewinner wurden aufgrund ihrer innovativen Ansätze, ihres therapeutischen Potenzials und der Skalierbarkeit ihrer Plattformen ausgewählt. DeepSeq.AI konzentriert sich auf Onkologie und Infektionskrankheiten, während Serna Bio auf die Forschung im Bereich des zentralen Nervensystems spezialisiert ist. Dies ist das sechste Jahr des Preisprogramms, das darauf abzielt, junge Life-Science-Unternehmen bei der Weiterentwicklung ihrer Forschung zu marktfähigen Behandlungen zu unterstützen.
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- Both companies have earned a year-long opportunity for access to a distinguished life-science incubator in
San Francisco along with the invaluable expertise provided by Astellas to advance their research endeavors - Award helps biotech startups accelerate early research efforts
Astellas received more than 50 applications for the prize. After careful consideration and a competitive pitch process, both companies were chosen for strength of the innovation in their approach, the therapeutic potential of their research and expandability of their technological platforms.
Issei Tsukamoto, Head, Business Development at Astellas
"The Astellas Future Innovator Prize recognizes visionary startups whose scientific breakthroughs have the potential to transform patient care globally," said Issei Tsukamoto, Head of Business Development at Astellas. "We congratulate DeepSeq.AI and Serna Bio on their exceptional work in oncology and infectious diseases, as well as CNS, respectively. Through this award, and in collaboration with MBC BioLabs, we are proud to support their efforts to advance cutting-edge science into meaningful treatments for patients around the world."
Doug Crawford, General Manager at MBC BioLabs
"We're thrilled to recognize and support the next generation of scientific pioneers here at MBC BioLabs," said Doug Crawford, General Manager of MBC BioLabs. "The Future Innovator Prize provides access to a vibrant community of entrepreneurs, expert mentorship, and state-of-the-art lab facilities designed to accelerate early-stage breakthroughs. By partnering with Astellas, we're empowering these promising startups to advance bold ideas that could transform patient care. We look forward to seeing the impact their innovations will have in the years ahead."
About the Astellas Future Innovator Prize at MBC BioLabs
Astellas awards up to two prizes for pioneering scientists with innovative research that complements its Focus Area Approach, including Genetic Regulation, Immuno-Oncology, Targeted Protein Degradation, and Blindness & Regeneration.
Previous Astellas Future Innovator Prize winners include Tipping Point Biosciences and Altay Therapeutics, chosen for the potential of their innovations to deliver therapeutic advances in oncology for unmet medical needs and their potential synergy with Astellas' Focus Area Approach.
For further information, please visit: https://www.astellas.com/en/astellasfutureinnovator.
About Astellas
Astellas is a global life sciences company committed to turning innovative science into VALUE for patients. We provide transformative therapies in disease areas that include oncology, ophthalmology, urology, immunology, and women's health. Through our research and development programs, we are pioneering new healthcare solutions for diseases with high unmet medical need. Learn more at www.astellas.com.
About MBC BioLabs
MBC BioLabs believes startups are the greatest force for positive change in the world. We offer flexible state-of-the-art lab space, facilities, access to millions of dollars in equipment and instrumentation, along with a vibrant community of like-minded individuals tackling some of the world's biggest problems. We are dedicated to helping biotech startups succeed – we enable awesome. We have helped launch and grow over 350 companies since opening in October of 2013, and together, MBC companies have initiated 176 clinical trials, introduced 71 products to market, and raised nearly
About DeepSeq.AI
DeepSeq is revolutionizing AI-driven large molecule discovery by combining its innovative high-throughput wet lab assays with a custom, explainable generative LLM to design biologics optimized across multiple functions. Our platform generates massive-scale labeled protein data and models protein "grammar", enabling rapid development of therapeutics with optimized "conditional" binding, manufacturability, efficacy, safety, and PK/PD. Our approach is accelerating IND timelines by 10x and reducing costs by
About Serna Bio
Serna Bio is an AI-enabled drug discovery company developing small molecules to upregulate protein translation by selectively targeting functional RNA structures. The Serna Bio end-to-end platform spans target discovery to AI-enabled chemical optimisation & screening assays. The target discovery engine is an RNA Atlas: the world's largest knowledge base of experimentally validated, functional RNA structures for rapid motif discovery. The Chemistry Platform includes proprietary splicing and translational libraries, and a generative chemistry platform trained on proprietary data that designs selective RNA-binding small molecules. Combined with our proprietary chemi-transcriptomics screening platform, we can rapidly discover selective, small molecules that can modulate RNA function. https://www.serna.bio/
Cautionary Notes (Astellas)
In this press release, statements made with respect to current plans, estimates, strategies and beliefs and other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements about the future performance of Astellas. These statements are based on management's current assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: (i) changes in general economic conditions and in laws and regulations, relating to pharmaceutical markets, (ii) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (iii) delays in new product launches, (iv) the inability of Astellas to market existing and new products effectively, (v) the inability of Astellas to continue to effectively research and develop products accepted by customers in highly competitive markets, and (vi) infringements of Astellas' intellectual property rights by third parties. Information about pharmaceutical products (including products currently in development) which is included in this press release is not intended to constitute an advertisement or medical advice.
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SOURCE Astellas Pharma Inc.
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