Avigen and Etcembly Complete Collaboration Evaluating AI-Designed Multi-specific Cell Engagers Using Microfluidic Avidity Platform
London, UK – 12 March 2026 – Avigen Ltd (“the Company”), a privately held Contract Research Organisation developing advanced preclinical immunotherapy R&D services using its proprietary microfluidic platform and Etcembly Ltd, a techbio company leveraging generative AI for the development of novel biologics, today announced the successful completion of a collaborative study focused on the evaluation of multi-specific cell engager therapeutics.
Etcembly applies generative AI to the design and optimisation of immune-based biologics, including bi- and tri-specific T cell engagers. Its platform supports rapid exploration of molecular design while incorporating real-world development considerations, enabling the generation of development-ready candidate constructs for immunotherapy applications.
The collaboration brought together Etcembly’s AI-designed cell engager constructs and Avigen’s cell-based avidity platform to enable experimental evaluation of immune–target interactions under controlled, dynamic conditions. Bi- and tri-specific cell engagers developed in-house by Etcembly were assessed alongside a competitor construct, allowing comparative analysis of immune engagement at the whole-cell level.
“Avigen delivered our project with exceptional scientific professionalism, and their avidity readouts offered valuable new insights into immune–target engagement. Working with the Avigen team was a consistently positive experience”
Dr Alfred Lim, Director of Lab Research at Etcembly
This enabled insight into how different multi-specific cell engager designs, together with their associated effector cells, influence interactions with live target cells, supporting mechanism-of-action-based understanding to help guide design and selection decisions during early preclinical development.
“We are delighted to provide Etcembly with a new layer of validation to support their move into in-vivo studies, while clearly demonstrating the broad applicability of our platform beyond purely cell-based immunotherapies.”
Tobias Gamper, Founder and CEO at Avigen
Overall, the collaboration demonstrates the value of integrating AI-enabled biologics design with experimentally grounded, live-cell evaluation in immunotherapy discovery. By combining computational and microfluidic approaches, Avigen and Etcembly illustrate a complementary workflow that supports informed differentiation and prioritisation of cell engager candidates in early-stage development.
About Avigen
Avigen is a Contract Research Organisation developing a cutting-edge microfluidic platform to accelerate and streamline the discovery and translation of immunotherapies. Avigen’s platform offers holistic insights into cellular interactions at unparalleled throughput, enabling a confident prediction of therapeutic potential to facilitate the rapid validation of immune cell constructs. Avigen is committed to enabling biotech and pharmaceutical companies to unlock the full potential of immunotherapies and bring the next generation of treatments to patients.
Find out more at: https://www.avigen.bio
About Etcembly
Etcembly is pioneering a new frontier in immune repertoire analysis, where cutting-edge computational technologies converge with the transformative power of large language models (LLMs) to accelerate the discovery and engineering of next‑generation immunotherapies. Through its proprietary platform, EMLy™, the company integrates powerful machine learning techniques with deep immunological expertise to decode, predict, and design high‑performance biologics at unprecedented speed. Etcembly’s mission is to redefine the landscape of AI-guided drug research by offering innovative tools and solutions, ultimately paving the way for next-generation immunotherapies.
Find out more at: https://www.etcembly.io/
Contacts
For more information or media enquiries, please contact Avigen at info@avigen.bio.