WALTHAM, Mass. — BostonGene said it has entered into a strategic collaboration with AstraZeneca to advance oncology drug development using artificial intelligence, with a focus on predicting patient safety and treatment efficacy earlier in clinical trials.
The collaboration will use BostonGene’s multimodal AI platform and foundation model for tumor and immune biology to generate patient-level insights on safety and efficacy outcomes. AstraZeneca plans to apply the technology across its oncology portfolio to help accelerate development timelines and reduce clinical risk.
“BostonGene’s platform combines deep biological insights with advanced AI and this collaboration will empower us to predict which patients will benefit from treatment helping us design safer, more effective therapies from the start,” said Jorge Reis-Filho, MD, PhD, Chief of AI for Science Innovation, Enterprise AI Unit, AstraZeneca. “At AstraZeneca, we are focused on leveraging the vast and unparalleled potential of AI to accelerate clinical development and the delivery of innovative medicines to patients.”
The initiative reflects growing interest in applying foundation models to real-world clinical development. BostonGene’s approach integrates pre-trained AI models with multimodal data analysis, including cell-free RNA and tumor microenvironment profiling, to predict treatment response and tolerability across diverse patient populations. The company said this enables more adaptive, biomarker-informed development strategies.
“We’re honored to partner with AstraZeneca, a global leader in oncology innovation,” said Andrew Feinberg, President and CEO of BostonGene. “This collaboration demonstrates the power of foundational biology and multi-modal molecular insights to reshape how we develop, de-risk, and deliver therapies to patients. It is a major step toward transforming drug development through AI.”
BostonGene said it is actively deploying its foundation model with biopharmaceutical partners to support oncology programs across multiple stages of development. The company added that integrating AI-driven insights into research and development pipelines can help optimize regulatory strategies and support label expansion, with the AstraZeneca collaboration underscoring the broader potential of AI-powered profiling in oncology.
