US biotech Nabla Bio and Japan Takeda expand AI drug design partnership

Partnership Overview

Japanese pharmaceutical giant Takeda and U.S.-based biotech startup Nabla Bio have announced a significant expansion of their collaboration in the field of AI-driven drug discovery. This new agreement is valued at over $1 billion and represents the second major deal between the two companies.

Advanced AI Technology for Drug Design

Nabla Bio will harness its proprietary Joint Atomic Model (JAM) technology in this multi-year partnership. This innovative platform leverages machine learning and deep learning techniques to accelerate the discovery and design of next-generation protein-based therapeutics, aiming to bring novel medicines to patients faster and with greater precision.

Key Highlights of the Deal

  • The expanded collaboration focuses on AI-driven antibody and protein engineering.
  • Nabla Bio will receive upfront payments and be eligible for potential milestone payments exceeding $1 billion, along with tiered royalties on sales.
  • The partnership builds on an existing alliance formed by the companies in early 2023, now extending to address a broader range of therapeutic targets.

Industry Implications

This deal underlines growing confidence in the ability of AI tools such as Nabla’s platform to transform the pharmaceutical R&D landscape. By integrating advanced models that predict protein structures and functions, the partnership seeks to improve hit rates and reduce the time and costs associated with traditional drug development.

Looking Forward

As AI drug discovery becomes increasingly central to biopharma strategy, collaborations like this are anticipated to become more prevalent. Takeda and Nabla Bio’s expanded agreement marks a notable step towards broader adoption of artificial intelligence in the pursuit of complex, life-saving therapies.

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