BMS Pay $674m for Generative AI Drug Discovery

Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) has partnered with deep tech company VantAI in a $674 million deal for its Generative AI-driven drug discovery platform. The work will focus on designing molecular glues for unspecified therapeutic targets, and VantAI's technology leverages geometric deep learning to create solutions that improve potency and molecule size, opening promise to new treatment modalities​​.

The following article originally appeared in Pharmaceutical Technology.

Another week and another big pharma has enlisted the services of a generative AI company to accelerate drug discovery. In the latest deal, Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) has entered a collaboration with US deep tech company VantAI.

The partnership will focus on using VantAI’s generative AI platform (GenAI)  to design and develop molecular glues – a type of small molecule that induces or stabilises interactions between two proteins that would not normally go together.

If certain milestones are met, VantAI could be in line to receive up to $674m from BMS. Tiered royalties are also included in the deal, as per a 13 February press release.

BMS and VantAI did not disclose the therapeutic areas initially being targeted and the big pharma has the option to further expand this collaboration into additional programmes.

VantAI’s technology uses geometric deep learning to mimic interfaces that have been naturally occurring for millions of years. The company produces insights from these evolved interfaces to help in the candidate design process. The AI company calls this approach “protein-contact-first”, saying it yields “glue-like solutions” that could exhibit better potency, selectivity, and molecule size.

For more, please find the original story source here.