METiS Therapeutics and Deerfield Management Forge Strategic Alliance to Advance AI-Driven In Vivo Protein Therapeutics and Immunotherapies

　　【Pharmaceutical Network Industry News】 Recently, Jitai Technology announced a collaboration with Deerfield Management to jointly develop next-generation in vivo protein therapeutics and immunotherapies. Among these, a T-cell engager (TCE) project discovered and advanced to the preclinical candidate stage by Jitai Technology’s AiProtein platform will be a key focus. Deerfield will explore licensing and development opportunities for this project to facilitate its progression into IND-enabling studies and clinical development.
 

According to publicly available information, Jitai Technology's independently developed AI nanodelivery platform, NanoForge, adopts an innovative "dry lab + wet lab + AI agents" paradigm to drive four major solutions: AiLNP, AiRNA, AiProtein, and AiTEM. Deerfield is one of the most influential specialized investment firms in the global life sciences sector, managing over $16 billion in assets and having invested in more than 200 healthcare companies. It maintains a deep strategic presence in cutting-edge fields such as oncology, autoimmune diseases, RNA therapeutics, gene editing, and AI-driven drug discovery.
 

Industry experts note that this collaboration marks an evolution in partnerships between global capital and China's AI drug discovery sector, transitioning from single-product licensing deals to a strategic alignment of "technology platforms + industry resources." Moving forward, empowered by Deerfield's industry resources, Jitai Technology's core TCE program is expected to accelerate into the IND and clinical development stages, achieving a leap from "technology platform value" to "clinical asset value."
 

Notably, since 2026, major collaborations in the AI drug discovery sector both in China and globally have been rapidly materializing, exhibiting the distinct characteristics of "platform-driven, high-value, and globalized" partnerships. For instance, in late March, Insilico Medicine and Eli Lilly entered into a global R&D collaboration with a potential total value of up to $2.75 billion, including a $115 million upfront payment. Under the agreement, Eli Lilly obtained an exclusive global license for a preclinical oral therapy from Insilico Medicine, and the two parties will further collaborate on global drug discovery and development powered by Insilico Medicine’s Pharma.AI platform.
 

In April, Novo Nordisk and OpenAI announced an enterprise-wide strategic partnership, planning to deploy AI technology across the entire value chain of R&D, manufacturing, commercialization, and operations, with full integration expected by the end of 2026.
 

Novo Nordisk emphasized that this initiative aims to empower scientific researchers rather than replace human labor, and will concurrently implement global AI literacy training for its employees. The CEO of OpenAI stated that the collaboration will accelerate advancements in life sciences and optimize patient care.
 

On April 28, Eli Lilly and Company entered into a collaboration agreement with AI startup Profluent to explore new methods for DNA editing. Under the disclosed partnership agreement, Lilly will hold exclusive rights to develop new therapeutics arising from the collaboration. Upon the achievement of certain milestones, Lilly will pay up to $2.25 billion.
 

Prior to this, Eli Lilly also entered into a partnership with NVIDIA, with both parties planning to invest $1 billion over five years to jointly establish an AI innovation laboratory, leveraging artificial intelligence to address numerous long-standing challenges in the pharmaceutical industry.
 

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Overall, the partnership between Jitai Technology and Deerfield Management represents a systematic integration from a “technology platform” to “global industry resources” amid the rapid expansion of the global AI-driven drug discovery sector. Beyond capital, Deerfield brings Jitai Technology clinical development capabilities, global regulatory pathways, and an international business development (BD) network. This collaboration is expected to further consolidate Jitai Technology’s leading market position and accelerate its global expansion in the future.
 

　　Disclaimer: Under no circumstances shall the information contained herein or the opinions expressed constitute investment advice to any person.