Merck KGaA Announces Over $1.2 Billion in AI-Driven Drug Discovery Partnerships with BenevolentAI and Exscientia Across Oncology, Neurology, and Immunology

▎WuXi

Edited by Kant Content Team

Today, Merck KGaA and AI companies BenevolentAI and Exscientia respectively reached two separate AI drug discovery collaborations.Focused on three targets in oncology, neurology, and immunology.

BenevolentAI's drug discovery platform can be applied to any disease and has the ability to discover a large number of innovative targets. In the collaboration between Merck KGaA and BenevolentAI, BenevolentAI’s end-to-end AI platform technology will be utilized, working alongside its interdisciplinary team of drug discovery experts to develop novel drug candidates, initially focusing on three targets in oncology, neurology, and immunology. BenevolentAI will leverage its AI chemistry design toolkit, combined with its wet lab facilities, to deliver small molecule drug development candidates into Merck KGaA’s pipeline for preclinical and clinical development.

According to the agreement,Merck Group to Pay BenevolentAI up to $594 Million, Including Upfront and Milestone Payments for Discovery, Development and Commercialization

BenevolentAI also reached a cooperation with AstraZeneca in January last year. This further expands their 2019 collaboration on the development of innovative therapies for chronic kidney disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, adding systemic lupus erythematosus and heart failure to the R&D partnership.

Image Source: 123RF

The new collaboration between Merck KGaA and Exscientia is also focused on the discovery of novel small-molecule drug candidates across oncology, neuroinflammation, and immunology, with an emphasis on three potential targets. Additionally, this partnership enables Merck KGaA and Exscientia to identify additional targets in the fields of oncology, immunology, or other disease areas agreed upon by both parties.

Exscientia's End-to-End AI-Driven Precision Medicine Platform

According to the terms of the agreement,Exscientia will receive a $20 million cash upfront payment from Merck KGaA and is eligible to receive up to $674 million in discovery, development, regulatory, and sales milestone payments.