Startup spun out of Nobel Laureate’s lab teams with Eli Lilly to fight cancer with AI
Lila Biologics, a spinout from Nobel Laureate David Baker’s lab at the University of Washington, announced a collaboration with pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly to develop therapies for treating solid tumors.
The Seattle-based startup has launched two AI-powered platforms for protein design: one for targeted radiotherapy that binds proteins to tumors and delivers radioactive isotopes, and another for building long-acting injectable drugs. The Eli Lilly partnership will leverage the radiotherapy tool, with the company aiming to deliver a candidate protein within six months. “The Eli Lilly collaboration really proves we’re ready for prime time,” said Jake Kraft, CEO of Lila Biologics. Nobel Laureate David Baker added that Lila is “uniquely suited to advance a new class of tumor-targeted radiotherapies and long-acting injectable medicines toward the clinic.”
This partnership underscores the collaborative strength of Seattle’s life sciences ecosystem, further cementing the region’s leadership in AI-driven protein design and next-generation cancer therapies.
Photo courtesy of Lila Biologics.
Pictured: Lila Biologics CEO Jake Kraft (left) and Chief Scientist Anindya Roy (right).