Q&A WITH DAVID DEL BOURGO
“Today, nobody is in any doubt as to AI’s potential for developing new drugs. The ecosystem has expanded considerably, driven by start-ups, major companies like Sanofi, and government support, as evidenced by the AI Summit in Paris.”
At a time when AI was still just a distant promise and genomics was in its infancy, David Del Bourgo understood their huge synergistic potential. This visionary approach led him to found WhiteLab Genomics in 2019, a pioneering company in the acceleration of the development of gene therapy.
Q What led you to found WhiteLab Genomics?
Healthcare, before joining a genomics start-up in 2014. Working with researchers, I discovered the revolutionary potential of gene therapy: treatments that repair cellular functions by targeting the cells themselves, using DNA, RNA, or genetic scissors*. I also found out that the development of these therapies required 15 to 20 years and several billion dollars in R&D, while the most talented scientists were struggling to process the vast amounts of data available to them. This realization inspired me to found WhiteLab Genomics, alongside Julien Cottineau and Lucia Cinque, with the aim of helping scientists use data to speed up the large-scale roll-out of these treatments.
Q How is WhiteLab Genomics transforming gene therapy?
We carry out in silico, in vitro, and in vivo phase tests on our AI platforms, accelerating the identification and selection of the best candidates for our clients, who will then carry out clinical trials. This saves a significant amount of time, with simulations carried out in a few weeks, rather than a few months or even a few years in a laboratory. This approach should reduce development costs and improve the return on investment for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
“WhiteLab Genomics has developed a unique technology that gives the company a considerable advantage in the rapidly expanding gene therapy market. This technology significantly accelerates the development of treatments, while reducing R&D costs.”
Q What stage are you at today?
While the commercialization of molecules designed by AI will take a few more years, we are developing several promising programs, including one to restore vision by regenerating the retina’s cells and another to re-establish respiratory and neuronal functions via cellular repair. Our partnership with Sanofi, as part of the WIDGeT consortium, is speeding up our progress.
Q What are the next steps?
After a ramp-up phase that followed our fundraising of €10 million from Omnes and Debiopharm in 2022, we want to focus on the United States, South Korea, and Japan, which have very dynamic biotechnology sectors. We also want to develop new models and our own biologically active ingredients to further strengthen our independence, while pursuing strategic partnerships.
*Genetic scissors: a technique to modify a cell’s genome with pinpoint accuracy. It can be used to deactivate a gene, introduce a targeted mutation, correct a particular mutation, or insert a new gene (source: EMBL)
First published in Scope Spring 2025