AI startup Iambic on Monday announced a multi-year technology and discovery collaboration agreement with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (NYSE:TAK).
The Japanese drug maker will use Iambic’s AI drug discovery models to advance a select set of high-priority small molecule programs, initially in Takeda’s oncology, gastrointestinal, and inflammation therapeutic areas.
Through the agreement, Takeda will also gain access to NeuralPLexer, Iambic’s model for predicting protein-ligand complexes.
Based in San Diego and founded in 2020, Iambic is a clinical-stage life-science and technology company developing novel medicines using its AI-driven discovery and development platform.
Iambic’s Collaboration Could Exceed $1.7 Billion
“Our collaboration with Takeda is a powerful opportunity to apply our AI-driven discovery and development platform, and we are excited to partner with their team to quickly advance new and better drug candidates,” said Tom Miller, Co-Founder and CEO of Iambic.
“Iambic’s small molecule platform aligns with this ambition and offers the potential to de-risk candidate selection, improve probability of success, and more quickly advance select programs from early project start to IND,” Chris Arendt, Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Research at Takeda.
Under the terms of the agreement, Iambic will receive upfront, research cost, and technology access payments and is eligible to receive success-based payments that could exceed $1.7 billion.
The company is also eligible to receive royalties on net sales of any products generated from this collaboration.
The collaboration will utilize Iambic’s AI models as well as the company’s fully integrated, high-throughput, and automated wet lab capabilities.
How AI Is Changing Drug Discovery Timelines
These core capabilities support a rapid Design-Make-Test-Analyze cycle that can accelerate program advancement.
Reuters reported that drug developers are increasingly turning to AI technologies to speed up discovery and cut costs, with experts predicting timelines could be halved in the coming years.
Traditional drug discovery can take around six years before a compound reaches clinical trials, Iambic Chief Executive Tom Miller told Reuters.
Iambic said its approach, combining AI predictions with automated laboratories, can compress that timeline to less than two years.
Takeda Chief Scientific Officer Christopher Arendt said the technology could significantly shorten research timelines, though speed is only part of the appeal.
“When you start to add an AI engine to your small‑molecule drug development, it means you can go faster,” Reuters noted, citing Arendt’s interview, adding that molecular quality is equally critical.
TAK Price Action: Takeda Pharmaceutical Co shares were down 1.26% at $17.66 at the time of publication on Monday. The stock is approaching its 52-week high of $17.98, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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