In the face of shrinking research budgets and increasing complexity in drug discovery, new approaches are needed to accelerate breakthroughs in immunology. Immunai, a biotech company with artificial intelligence (AI) driven immune system mapping, is taking a bold step in this direction with its newly launched Grand Collaboration Initiative for Single-Cell Immune Profiling.
The program offers academic researchers free access to Immunai’s advanced single cell sequencing technologies, including full transcriptomic, surface proteomic, and TCR profiling for up to 1,000 patient samples. By providing critical infrastructure at no cost, Immunai aims to help scientists uncover new pathways in immunity, identify novel therapeutic targets, and better understand resistance and toxicity in cancer, autoimmunity, and other immune-related diseases.
At the heart of this initiative is Noam Solomon, co-founder and CEO of Immunai. In an interview with the Drug and Device World, Solomon discusses why Immunai launched the Grand Collaboration Initiative, how its platform integrates single-cell profiling with AI, and what success looks like for this ambitious effort. He also shares his broader vision for building a global research ecosystem that thrives on collaboration and data sharing.
This interview has been edited for clarity, consistency, and length.
Phalguni Deswal [PD]: Why launch this grand collaboration now, and what prompted it?
Noam Solomon [NS]: Research and drug development have become increasingly expensive, and much of the field tends to focus on proven biology rather than pursuing new discoveries. We believe there’s still a tremendous amount to uncover. With funding for academic labs dwindling, especially in recent years, we saw an opportunity to step in.
At the same time, we’ve been building AMICA, the largest clinically annotated single-cell immune atlas. Expanding this database from thousands to potentially millions of patient samples requires broad collaboration with hospitals, universities, and Pharma. That’s why we call it a grand collaboration, because unlocking new science depends on working together at scale.
PD: For those unfamiliar, can you describe the capabilities of Immunai’s platform?
NS: Our platform is vertically integrated with four core components. First, we perform single-cell multi-omic profiling of patients’ immune systems before and after therapies, particularly in cancer and autoimmune conditions.
Second, these data feed into AMICA, which is constantly growing and serves as a reference atlas. Third, we apply AI, not to text, but to RNA and protein data, unlocking what we call immune intelligence.
Finally, our team of experts translates these AI outputs into actionable insights for drug discovery, whether it’s identifying new targets, optimizing drug combinations, or predicting biomarkers for response and toxicity.
PD: What kinds of studies stand to benefit most from this initiative?
NS: We’re prioritizing clinically meaningful projects, those that go beyond discovery and look at real patient responses. That includes trials that investigate why some patients resist or experience toxicity with immunotherapies, or studies comparing drugs to standard treatments like Merck & Co.’s (MSD) Keytruda (pembrolizumab). Combination therapies are another major focus, as the complexity of possible drug pairings is enormous, and our platform is uniquely positioned to help untangle it.
PD: What breakthroughs do you foresee emerging from this work?
NS: One is the ability to repurpose drugs across fields. We’ve already seen oncology drugs adapted for autoimmune conditions, and our platform accelerates those kinds of cross-disease insights. Another is precision medicine, helping ensure the right patients receive the right drugs, while avoiding ineffective or harmful treatments. Ultimately, we aim to make clinical outcomes better and bring safer therapies to patients.
PD: Data sharing is central to this initiative. How do you see that working?
NS: We’re committed to a “win-win” approach. Every project supported through this program will generate publications and contribute back to AMICA. That way, individual labs advance their own science, while the global research community benefits from shared data. I’ve spoken at venues like the World Economic Forum about the importance of breaking silos in drug development. We believe sharing data for the greater good is the only way to accelerate cures.
PD: Do you see this as a one-time initiative or a long-term effort?
NS: As CEO, I want to see how this first cycle plays out in terms of value and impact. But as a scientist and father, I see it as part of a larger calling to align incentives in life sciences so that breakthroughs benefit everyone. I hope that this grows into a global research ecosystem where collaboration is the norm, not the exception.
PD: Finally, what does success look like to you?
NS: In the short term, success means seeing a wave of high-impact publications and discoveries enabled by our platform.
Longer term, I’d like to see AMICA become the gold standard for therapeutic development, a database with a million samples that drives innovation across oncology, autoimmunity, and beyond. Success also means proving that collaboration at scale is not only possible but essential to advancing human health.
For more information on Immunai’s Grand Collaboration Initiative – click here
