Apriori Bio, a biotechnology company focused on developing variant-resilient vaccines, has announced a research collaboration with the Francis Crick Institute to better understand critical aspects of immune response, with the goal of informing the development of more predictive and effective vaccines against present and emerging viral threats for patient benefit.

Commenting on the development, Craig Williams, Chief Executive Officer of Apriori Bio and CEO-Partner at Flagship Pioneering said, “This collaboration will enhance our capacity to accurately predict viral evolution and develop innovative, prospective vaccine candidates. Together, we aim to enhance the global seasonal strain selection framework and improve vaccine effectiveness for individuals of all ages, immune histories, and geographic locations.”

The collaboration will leverage output from the Crick's Legacy Study to further validate Apriori's biology-informed artificial intelligence platform, Octavia, to both predict viral evolution and design vaccines that elicit the optimal immune responses against present and emerging viral threats. Legacy is a long-term research initiative between the Crick and the National Institute for Health and Care Research UCLH Biomedical Research Centre, designed to provide insights into immune responses to COVID vaccines and infections.

Dr. Emma Wall, a Lead Investigator for the Legacy Study at the Francis Crick Institute said, “The Legacy Study is an unparalleled resource for understanding how viruses evolve. Together, we have an opportunity to translate meaningful insights that can be used to enhance vaccine design and safeguard communities worldwide by staying ahead of emerging health threats.”

This public and private sector collaboration is the latest to be facilitated through Flagship Pioneering's UK initiative. Launched in 2023, the initiative serves as a bridge between the UK's rich research and life science networks and Flagship and its companies.

Junaid Bajwa, Senior Partner and Head of the United Kingdom for Flagship Pioneering said, “This collaboration with the Crick, one of the world-leading scientific institutes, underscores Flagship Pioneering's dedication to leveraging world-class science to accelerate innovation across our portfolio companies. The integration of the Crick's Legacy Study and Apriori's Octavia platform demonstrates the immense potential to prepare for and address future health challenges."