Insilico Medicine has entered a global research and development collaboration with Korea’s SK Biopharmaceuticals to advance novel treatments for neuroimmune disorders, according to a June 22 announcement. Under the agreement, Insilico will receive an $18 million upfront payment and could earn more than $2.5 billion in total if certain development, regulatory, and commercial milestones are met. SK Biopharmaceuticals will also pay single-digit royalties on net sales of any products resulting from the alliance.
SK Biopharmaceuticals will gain access to Insilico’s Pharma.AI platform, which uses generative artificial intelligence models and automation programs to improve the quality and productivity of drug development. According to Insilico, Pharma.AI covers critical steps such as target validation, molecule optimization, and candidate optimization.
SK Biopharmaceuticals CEO Donghoon Lee said in a prepared statement that the company will use this AI-driven approach to “accelerate the discovery of innovative [central nervous system therapies].” The Korean company will lead late-stage development and commercialization under the agreement but has not specified which indications it plans to pursue. The focus of the partnership is on neuroimmune disorders, including neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases.
The number of programs that SK Biopharmaceuticals intends to use Insilico’s platform for has not been disclosed. However, Lee said, “We see this collaboration as a scalable and repeatable growth platform that can be leveraged for future target discovery and development opportunities.”
Insilico Medicine has formed several partnerships with biopharma companies in recent years. In March, Eli Lilly paid $115 million upfront for exclusive worldwide rights related to oral drugs developed using Insilico’s AI engine; if all milestones are met in that deal, its value could reach $2.75 billion. Other recent collaborations include projects with Qilu Pharmaceutical for cardiometabolic conditions, Servier for oncology research, and Tenacia Biotechnology along with Hytiga Therapeutics focused on neurological areas.
