Hansa Biopharma Taps Cradle AI to Accelerate Autoimmune Drug Discovery

The collaboration marks a strategic push for Hansa as it looks beyond its flagship enzyme therapy, imlifidase, to build a next-generation portfolio. Sofia Järnum, Hansa’s VP of Research and Early Development, cited the platform’s ability to handle multi-parameter optimization and its active learning capabilities as primary drivers for the selection. The system allows scientists to iterate on molecular designs using internal experimental data, effectively creating a lab-in-the-loop workflow.

For Cradle, the partnership underscores a broader industry shift toward unified platforms that consolidate candidate generation and optimization. According to the Amsterdam-based tech firm, its users have reported development timelines accelerated by up to 18 months. Stef van Grieken, CEO of Cradle, noted that the goal is to provide tools that learn alongside researchers, allowing them to tackle complex molecular challenges with greater precision.