Halda Therapeutics, founded by PROTAC pioneer Craig Crews, has entered a strategic collaboration worth over USD 1 billion with generative AI company VantAI to accelerate development of next-generation Regulated Induced Proximity TArgeting Chimeras therapeutics. The partnership combines Halda's novel hold-and-kill RIPTAC platform with VantAI's Neo-1 foundation model and NeoLink high-throughput structural proteomics platform to identify target-effector protein pairs for cancer and immune disorders. Halda's lead oral RIPTAC candidate HLD-0915/H001, targeting androgen receptor in prostate cancer, is currently in Phase I/II trials with Fast Track designation in its US homeland.

The RIPTAC technology creates heterobifunctional molecules that selectively bind disease-specific proteins and essential cellular proteins, forming inactive complexes that trigger tumour cell death. Halda has raised USD 202 million since its founding to advance this approach, with preclinical data published in Cell Chemical Biology demonstrating selective cytotoxicity in prostate cancer models. The VantAI collaboration will expand Halda's pipeline beyond HLD-0915, including programs for breast cancer and other malignancies.

According to PharmCube's NextBiopharm® database, Halda's pipeline includes four additional RIPTAC candidates in pre-clinical stage. Click here to request a free trial for NextBiopharm®.