Flagship Pioneering has formed Etcelera by merging the platforms of Cellarity, Etiome and Empress Therapeutics, creating a drug discovery company focused on identifying disease mechanisms and developing small-molecule medicines.
Ad Rawcliffe will lead the Somerville, Massachusetts-based company as chief executive. Alec Reynolds, a Flagship senior partner, will serve as chairman.
Etcelera combines data on human gene activity, chemical interactions with proteins and experimental changes to biological systems with Flagship’s artificial intelligence capabilities. The company aims to use those resources to identify drug targets and predict how potential treatments will act in patients.
The integrated platform draws on more than 20 years of combined data. It includes a foundation model trained on data from 150 million cells and more than 30 proprietary AI-powered prediction models.
The company begins with programs in hematology, metabolism and immunology. Its blood disease programs include myelofibrosis and essential thrombocythemia, while its metabolism portfolio includes partnered programs in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH.
Cellarity’s platform examines changes across whole cells. Etiome contributes technology for studying disease progression and identifying stages for intervention. Empress contributes technology for identifying and validating drug targets and mechanisms.
A separate company, Cellarity SCD, will advance CLY-124, a clinical-stage small molecule originating from Cellarity’s work on activating fetal hemoglobin in sickle cell disease.
Etcelera launches with continued support from Flagship and other backers to expand its platform and advance discovery programs. Rawcliffe said the company also intends to pursue partnerships and data services alongside its medicine development work.
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