# UCB partners with Cradle to accelerate antibody discovery using AI

Digest AI · Research · published 2026-11-04T22:05:02Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/ucb-partners-with-cradle-to-accelerate-antibody-discovery-using-ai

## Summary

**UCB and Cradle announced a collaboration on November 4, 2026**, integrating Cradle’s AI-driven protein design platform into UCB’s antibody discovery pipeline. The partnership aims to speed up hit generation, lead optimization, and preclinical readiness for antibodies targeting diseases with unmet medical needs. Cradle’s platform uses a “lab-in-the-loop” approach, where experimental data continuously refines AI models to improve candidate selection and reduce trial-and-error in lab work.

Cradle’s system supports multi-property optimization, balancing binding, stability, manufacturability, and immunogenicity. Scientists define objectives like specificity, thermostability, and T-cell epitope risk, while the AI estimates success probabilities before assays. The platform includes a no-code web app for researchers and an API for computational teams. UCB’s Chief Scientific Officer, Alistair Henry, framed AI as a ‘scientific force multiplier,’ emphasizing its role in augmenting—not replacing—human expertise. Cradle CEO Stef van Grieken highlighted the platform’s potential to transform biologics R&D by integrating AI across discovery programs, though deployment is initially limited to selected projects.

## Key points

- UCB and Cradle collaborate to use AI in antibody discovery, targeting diseases with limited treatment options
- Cradle’s platform refines models with real-time lab data, optimizing candidates for binding, stability, and manufacturability
- UCB’s Chief Scientific Officer calls AI a ‘scientific force multiplier’ to accelerate therapeutic development

## Why it matters

This partnership could reduce the time and cost of antibody development by combining AI-driven design with real-world lab validation, potentially bringing better treatments to patients faster.

## Sources

1. [UCB Adds Cradle’s AI Platform to Antibody Discovery Projects](https://unite.ai/ucb-adds-cradles-ai-platform-to-antibody-discovery-projects) (Unite.AI, 2026-11-04)

## Cite

Digest AI, "UCB partners with Cradle to accelerate antibody discovery using AI", 4 November 2026, https://digestai.news/story/ucb-partners-with-cradle-to-accelerate-antibody-discovery-using-ai

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