UCB to accelerate antibody development with Cradle AI platform

Platform to be used across the development process

UCB, headquartered in Brussels, and Cradle, which develops an AI-powered protein design and engineering platform, announced the partnership on November 4, 2026. The agreement is the latest step in UCB’s expanding digital antibody discovery and engineering program.

UCB will use Cradle’s end-to-end platform in selected discovery projects. The process starts with generating initial hits, followed by lead candidate optimization and preparation for preclinical development. The company combines its own antibody discovery platform with computational science methods, disease biology expertise, and a network of technology and research partners.

Laboratory results fed back into the models

UCB scientists will use Cradle’s platform across multiple programs. Experimental results will be continuously fed back into the models associated with each program. The companies describe this as a “lab-in-the-loop” learning cycle.

The aim is to enable researchers to optimize candidates for the full range of properties needed for success, drawing on their own expertise and judgment. Computational predictions will be combined with laboratory validation. According to UCB, this could enable the design of better molecules, faster learning and the earlier delivery of high-quality therapeutic candidates to patients.

“At UCB, we do not view AI as an end in itself, but as a scientific force multiplier that complements human expertise in biology, chemistry and translational research,” said Alistair Henry, UCB’s chief scientific officer. He added that bringing in Cradle’s end-to-end platform would allow the company to use computational methods in a rigorous, practically oriented way.

Expanding UCB’s digital antibody program

UCB said the partnership aims to integrate AI throughout the discovery process and strengthen its digital antibody engineering capabilities. The company focuses on diseases where patients still need better treatment options.

According to Stef van Grieken, CEO and co-founder of Cradle, AI can be most effective in the research and development of biologic medicines when it can be scaled not only across individual experiments or programs, but also as part of the research workflow. The partnership with UCB brings Cradle’s platform to UCB’s biotherapeutic development programs, allowing researchers to use the same system across multiple programs, modalities and more complex engineering tasks.

What does this mean for development programs?

The agreement covers selected UCB discovery projects and extends from generating initial molecular candidates to preclinical preparation. In the learning cycle described by the companies, experimental data support the development of models tailored to each program, while researchers continue to determine the direction of optimization.

UCB has around 9,000 employees in approximately 40 countries and generated revenue of €7.7 billion in 2025. According to Cradle, its protein engineering platform is used in more than 80 active research and development programs by companies in pharmaceuticals, industrial biotechnology, agriculture and consumer goods.

The statement also stresses that its claims about future opportunities arising from the partnership do not guarantee future performance. The discovery of new drug candidates is not assured, and preclinical results alone do not guarantee the safety and efficacy of candidates in humans.