Aqemia, the drug invention company combining generative AI and quantum-inspired physics to invent small molecule drugs, announced the expansion of its multi-year research collaboration with the global pharmaceutical company, Sanofi. The expansion is marked by the nomination of a new therapeutic target and an additional payment.

The collaboration, first announced in December 2023, makes Aqemia eligible to receive up to a total of $140 million in upfront and milestone payments across programs. It spans the drug discovery journey from the identification of the very first hits to the selection of a development candidate. Aqemia leverages Qemi, its proprietary physics-based generative AI platform, to design novel molecules addressing Sanofi’s targets of choice, working in close collaboration with Sanofi scientific teams. Sanofi leads wet lab research, development and commercialization.

The collaboration now runs across continents, between Aqemia researchers in Paris and London and Sanofi researchers in Boston, Frankfurt and Paris. Aqemia’s platform has been put to work on Sanofi’s targets of interest, including difficult, first-in-class projects with limited chemical data upfront, and the joint way of working is now well established.

Sanofi is now taking a step further by nominating a new therapeutic target, expanding the scope of the work and triggering a milestone payment. The nomination reflects the confidence both teams place in the platform and in the people to address a growing range of research projects.

Maximilien Levesque, CEO and co-founder of Aqemia, commented, “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.”