PARIS and LONDON — Aqemia and Sanofi have expanded their multi-year research collaboration with the addition of a new therapeutic target and an associated milestone payment.
The partnership, first announced in December 2023, uses Aqemia’s generative artificial intelligence and quantum-inspired physics platform to design small-molecule drug candidates against targets selected by Sanofi.
Under the agreement, Aqemia is eligible to receive up to $140 million in upfront and milestone payments across multiple programs. The collaboration covers stages ranging from the identification of initial drug hits through the selection of a development candidate.
Aqemia uses Qemi, its proprietary physics-based generative AI platform, to design novel molecules in collaboration with Sanofi’s scientific teams. Sanofi is responsible for laboratory research, development and commercialization.
The companies said the collaboration now includes Aqemia researchers in Paris and London and Sanofi researchers in Boston, Frankfurt and Paris.
Aqemia’s platform has been applied to several Sanofi research targets, including difficult first-in-class projects with limited initial chemical data.
Sanofi’s nomination of an additional therapeutic target expands the scope of the partnership and triggered a milestone payment. The companies did not disclose the amount of the payment or details about the new target.
“We are thrilled to expand the collaboration with the nomination of a new target. It shows that our physics-based generative AI can deliver on real, hard projects, and reflects the strong ways of working and trust between our teams. We are committed to inventing innovative drugs in close alliance with Sanofi’s experts,” said Maximilien Levesque, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Aqemia.
