Pharma Is Buying Discovery From AI Companies
What the Data Tells Us
AI’s share of partnering has more than tripled since 2022.
11%of partnering deals in the last 12 months, against 3% in 2022Most AI deals happen at the earliest stages, in discovery and preclinical work.
94%at discovery or preclinical stage, against 43% for other dealsMost AI companies signing deals are newcomers; only a few have done many.
29 of 42AI partners in the last 12 months had no earlier deal on recordAI dealmaking spans different kinds of agreements.
Kind of company Examples Develops its own drugs Discovery partnerships with pharma Sells AI software, data or models Drug developers founded on AIBuilt to discover drugs with AI; run their own programs and partner with pharma. Isomorphic LabsinsitroIambic Drug developers that use AIDrug developers first, with AI in how they work. Many license in or buy drugs. RecursionFormation BioPathos AI HybridsDevelop their own drugs, partner with pharmaceutical companies, and sell software. Insilico MedicineSchrödinger AI platform and data partnersNo drugs of their own; supply models, data or discovery work to those who do. Chai DiscoveryTempus AI Frontier AI labs and big techGeneral AI and computing companies moving into life sciences. Tracked separately. AnthropicOpenAINVIDIA Model and software vendorsSell model or software access only. Not counted as AI deals. — YesSomeEarly signals onlyNoAI dealmaking spans distinct kinds of agreement, from discovery collaborations to licenses for existing drugs. Whether a drug is “AI-designed” mostly rests on the company’s own claims.
Kinds of AI Deals
What Kind of Deals
2018–Oct 2026
Latest included AI deal: 20 Oct 2026
115
Discovery collaborations
81%i
A drug developer pays an AI company to find new drug candidates, usually with milestones for each target.See the 115 deals
- Oct 2026 Sanofi with Eleven Therapeutics (ScionxBio brand)
- Oct 2026 AstraZeneca with Insitro $40M upfront
- Oct 2026 Gilead Sciences with Vir Biotechnology $90M upfront
- Oct 2026 Zealand Pharma with Generate Biomedicines $30M upfront
- Sep 2026 Boehringer Ingelheim with Variant Bio
- Sep 2026 Boehringer Ingelheim with Envisagenics
- Sep 2026 AbbVie Group Holdings (AbbVie) with Iambic Therapeutics $40M upfront
- Sep 2026 Novo Nordisk with Orbis Medicines
- Sep 2026 Ono Pharmaceutical with Aitia
- Aug 2026 Almirall with Shenzhen CrystalO Biopharma Technology
- Jul 2026 China Medical System with Insilico Medicine
- Jul 2026 AstraZeneca with CSPC Pharmaceutical $30M upfront
- Jul 2026 Takeda Pharmaceutical with Insilico Medicine
- Jun 2026 Bayer Healthcare (Bayer) with Iambic Therapeutics
- Jun 2026 SK Biopharmaceuticals with Insilico Medicine
- Jun 2026 LG Chem with LabGenius Therapeutics
- Jun 2026 Merck & Co. with Protillion Biosciences
- Jun 2026 Novartis with Orionis Biosciences $40M upfront
- Jun 2026 Alnylam Pharmaceuticals with Inceptive Nucleics $30M upfront
- May 2026 Incyte with Genesis Molecular AI $120M upfront
- Apr 2026 Eli Lilly with Profluent Bio
- Mar 2026 Merck & Co. with Infinimmune
- Mar 2026 Eli Lilly with Insilico Medicine
- Feb 2026 Novo Nordisk with Vivtex
- Feb 2026 Angelini Pharma with Quiver Bioscience
- Feb 2026 Novartis with Unnatural Products
- Feb 2026 Takeda Pharmaceutical with Iambic Therapeutics $27M upfront
- Jan 2026 Qilu Pharmaceutical with Insilico Medicine
- Jan 2026 Eli Lilly with Nimbus Therapeutics
- Jan 2026 Pfizer with Cartography Biosciences
- Jan 2026 Boehringer Ingelheim with Variant Bio
- Jan 2026 Sanofi with Earendil Labs
- Jan 2026 Servier with Insilico Medicine
- Jan 2026 Eli Lilly with InduPro
- Dec 2025 Protalix BioTherapeutics with Secarna Pharmaceuticals
- Dec 2025 Pfizer with Adaptive Biotechnologies
- Dec 2025 Novartis with Relation Therapeutics $55M upfront
- Nov 2025 Merck KGaA with Valo Health
- Nov 2025 Voyager Therapeutics with Transition Bio
- Nov 2025 Eli Lilly with Ailux
- Nov 2025 Roche with Manifold Bio $55M upfront
- Oct 2025 Genentech (Roche) with Ventus Therapeutics
- Oct 2025 Takeda Pharmaceutical with Nabla Bio
- Oct 2025 AstraZeneca with Algen Biotechnologies
- Sep 2025 Novartis with Monte Rosa Therapeutics $120M upfront
- Aug 2025 Halda Therapeutics with VantAI
- Aug 2025 Eli Lilly with Superluminal Medicines
- Aug 2025 DoveTree Medicines with XtalPi $51M upfront
- Jul 2025 Chugai Pharmaceutical with Gero
- Jul 2025 argenx with Unnatural Products
- Jun 2025 Lisata Therapeutics with GATC Health
- Jun 2025 AstraZeneca with CSPC Pharmaceutical $110M upfront
- Jun 2025 Novo Nordisk with Deep Apple Therapeutics
- Jun 2025 Eli Lilly with Juvena Therapeutics
- May 2025 Genentech (Roche) with Orionis Biosciences $105M upfront
- Apr 2025 Eli Lilly with Creyon Bio $13M upfront
- Mar 2025 Novo Nordisk with Gensaic
- Jan 2025 Novo Nordisk with Valo Health
- Jan 2025 Pfizer with PostEra $12M upfront
- Jan 2025 Novo Nordisk with Variant Bio
- Dec 2024 Novartis with BioAge Labs $20M upfront
- Dec 2024 GSK with Relation Therapeutics
- Dec 2024 GSK with Relation Therapeutics
- Oct 2024 Servier with Aitia
- Sep 2024 H. Lundbeck with Iambic Therapeutics $10M upfront
- Sep 2024 Orion with Aitia
- Sep 2024 Novartis with Generate Biomedicines $65M upfront
- May 2024 Gilead Sciences with Cartography Biosciences $20M upfront
- May 2024 AstraZeneca with Nabla Bio
- May 2024 Bristol Myers Squibb with Nabla Bio
- Apr 2024 Boehringer Ingelheim with Ochre Bio
- Apr 2024 Merck KGaA with Caris Life Sciences
- Mar 2024 AstralBio with iBio
- Feb 2024 Eli Lilly with Peptilogics
- Jan 2024 Eli Lilly with Isomorphic Labs $45M upfront
- Jan 2024 Novartis with Isomorphic Labs $37.5M upfront
- Jan 2024 Boehringer Ingelheim with 3T Biosciences
- Dec 2023 Absci with PrecisionLife
- Dec 2023 AstraZeneca with Absci
- Nov 2023 Boehringer Ingelheim with Phenomic AI
- Nov 2023 Eli Lilly with PRISM BioLab
- Nov 2023 Almirall with Absci
- Oct 2023 Roche with Monte Rosa Therapeutics $50M upfront
- Oct 2023 Genentech (Roche) with Monte Rosa Therapeutics $50M upfront
- Sep 2023 Novo Nordisk with Valo Health
- Sep 2023 Merck KGaA with BenevolentAI
- Sep 2023 Merck KGaA with Exscientia $20M upfront
- Sep 2023 Alexion (AstraZeneca) with Verge Genomics
- Sep 2023 Otsuka Pharmaceutical with Shape Therapeutics
- Aug 2023 BlueRock Therapeutics (Bayer) with bit.bio
- May 2023 Servier with Aitia
- Jan 2023 AbbVie with Anima Biotech $42M upfront
- Nov 2022 Sanofi with Insilico Medicine $21.5M upfront
- May 2022 Bristol Myers Squibb with Evotec $200M upfront
- May 2022 Eli Lilly with Genesis Therapeutics $20M upfront
- Feb 2022 Blueprint Medicines with Proteovant Therapeutics $20M upfront
- Jan 2022 Sanofi with Exscientia $100M upfront
- Jan 2022 Merck & Co. with Absci
- Jan 2022 Amgen with Generate Biomedicines $50M upfront
- Dec 2021 Roche with Recursion Pharmaceuticals $150M upfront
- Sep 2021 Moderna with AbCellera
- Aug 2021 iBio with RubrYc Therapeutics
- Aug 2021 EQRx with Relay Therapeutics
- Jul 2021 ReviR Therapeutics with XtalPi
- Mar 2021 Eli Lilly with Biolojic Design
- Feb 2021 Nektar Therapeutics with Biolojic Design
- Dec 2020 Servier with Celsius Therapeutics
- Oct 2020 Bristol Myers Squibb with Insitro $50M upfront
- Sep 2020 IGM Biosciences with AbCellera
- Sep 2020 Bayer with Recursion Pharmaceuticals $80M upfront
- Jan 2020 Ionis Pharmaceuticals with Empirico $10M upfront
- Apr 2019 AstraZeneca with BenevolentAI
- Apr 2019 Gilead Sciences with Insitro $15M upfront
- Mar 2019 Celgene / BMS successor with Exscientia
- Jan 2018 Pfizer with Distributed Bio
14
Licenses of AI-discovered or designed drugs
10%i
A drug developer licenses or takes an option on a drug candidate the AI company says was discovered or designed using AI.See the 14 deals
- Aug 2026 Genentech (Roche) with Hanmi Pharmaceutical $190M upfront
- Jun 2026 Boulevard Bio with METiS TechBio $20M upfront
- May 2026 Daewoong Pharmaceutical with Innovo Therapeutics $4.4M upfront
- Apr 2026 LG Chem with Frontier Medicines
- Feb 2026 Gilead Sciences with Genhouse Bio $80M upfront
- Jan 2026 Hygtia Therapeutics with Insilico Medicine $10M upfront
- Dec 2025 Camurus with Gubra
- Dec 2025 Tonix Pharmaceuticals with Rutgers University
- Apr 2025 Sanofi with Earendil Labs $125M upfront
- Jan 2025 Stemline Therapeutics (Menarini) with Insilico Medicine $20M upfront
- Sep 2024 Merck & Co. with Evaxion Biotech $3.2M upfront
- Jan 2024 Stemline Therapeutics (Menarini) with Insilico Medicine $12M upfront
- Sep 2023 Exelixis with Insilico Medicine $80M upfront
- May 2021 LianBio with Landos Biopharma $18M upfront
13
Other
9%i
Other drug, delivery technology and platform agreements.See the 13 deals
- Apr 2026 Transgene with NEC Bio
- Mar 2026 Pulmatrix with Eos SENOLYTIX
- Jan 2026 AstraZeneca with CSPC Pharmaceutical — Drug portfolio and AI platform
- Sep 2025 VectorY Therapeutics with Shape Therapeutics — Delivery technology option
- Jun 2025 Sanofi with Formation Bio / Libertas Bio — Existing drug license; AI design not established
- Apr 2025 Sanofi with Nurix Therapeutics $15M upfront
- Jul 2024 Ipsen with Foreseen Biotechnology $65.1M upfront
- Dec 2023 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries with Biolojic Design $10M upfront
- Apr 2023 Merck & Co. with Prometheus Biosciences $10.8B upfront
- Dec 2022 AbbVie with HotSpot Therapeutics $40M upfront
- Sep 2022 iBio with RubrYc $1M upfront
- Feb 2022 EdiGene with Arbor Biotechnologies
- Sep 2021 Otsuka Pharmaceutical with Sunovion Pharmaceuticals / Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma
AI’s Share of All Partnering Deals
AI Deal Pricing Against the Market
2018–Oct 2026
Upfront Payment
The unadjusted median disclosed upfront payment is $40M for AI deals and $20M for other partnering deals.
Unadjusted for differences in the mix of deals.
Total Deal Value
The unadjusted median disclosed total deal value is $1.1B for AI deals and $369M for other partnering deals.
Unadjusted for differences in the mix of deals. Headline values can include milestones that may never be paid.
Most Active Drug Developers in AI
Deals by Drug Developer
2018–Oct 2026
EarlierLast 12 months
Who Signs AI Deals, by Company Size
2018–Oct 2026
AI dealsOther deals
AI Companies Are Buyers Too
2018–Oct 2026
AI Drug Developers
AI drug developers also acquire companies and license medicines.
- Recursion5 deals
Uses AI for drug discovery and acquires drug companies.
- Pathos AI4 deals
Uses AI to develop clinical-stage cancer drugs.
- Biossil3 deals
Uses AI while building a drug pipeline.
- Formation Bio3 deals
Uses AI to develop licensed drugs.
Show all 24 companies
- Insitro2 deals
Combines machine learning with biological data for drug discovery.
- Lodo2 deals
Uses AI while building a drug pipeline.
- Lunai Bioworks1 deal
Uses AI while building a drug pipeline.
- iBio1 deal
Uses AI while building a drug pipeline.
- Yatiri Bio1 deal
Uses AI while building a drug pipeline.
- Earendil Labs1 deal
Uses AI while building a drug pipeline.
- Stoked Bio1 deal
Uses AI while building a drug pipeline.
- Hologen AI1 deal
Uses AI while building a drug pipeline.
- MThera Pharma1 deal
Uses AI while building a drug pipeline.
- Exscientia1 deal
Uses AI while building a drug pipeline.
- Iktos1 deal
Uses AI while building a drug pipeline.
- Harmonic Discovery1 deal
Uses AI while building a drug pipeline.
- Notable Labs1 deal
Uses AI while building a drug pipeline.
- Unravel1 deal
Uses AI while building a drug pipeline.
- Xbiome1 deal
Uses AI while building a drug pipeline.
- Valo Health1 deal
Uses AI while building a drug pipeline.
- Lantern Pharma1 deal
Uses AI while building a drug pipeline.
- Absci1 deal
Uses AI while building a drug pipeline.
- Relay1 deal
Uses AI while building a drug pipeline.
- BioAge Labs1 deal
Uses AI while building a drug pipeline.
Frontier AI Labs
General AI companies entering life sciences, tracked separately.
- AnthropicData & models
With Novo Nordisk
- AnthropicClinical development
With ICON
- AnthropicAcquisition, reported
With Coefficient Bio
AI Partners of Drug Developers
Every AI Partner, Sized by Deals
2018–Oct 2026
EstablishedNew in the last 12 months
AI Partners Signing Each Year
ReturningFirst deal on record
All AI Deals
| Date | Deal | Kind | Stage | Therapeutic area | Modality | Upfront (incl. equity) | Headline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 2026 | TERA platform for extended-exposure versions of selected unnamed San… | Discovery collaboration | Preclinical | Unknown | RNA therapeutic | — | — |
| 15 Oct 2026 | Virtual Human AI discovery and licensing programmes for MASH and car… | Discovery collaboration | Discovery | — | Undisclosed | $40M | $1.5B |
| 14 Oct 2026 | Three PRO-XTEN dual-masked T-cell engager development candidates | Discovery collaboration | Discovery | Oncology | — | $90M | $1.9B |
| 13 Oct 2026 | Two initial AI-engineered multispecific-protein programmes for obesi… | Discovery collaboration | Discovery | Metabolic | — | $30M | $1.2B |
| 23 Sep 2026 | Inference platform cardiovascular target discovery programs | Discovery collaboration | Discovery | Cardiovascular | Undisclosed | — | — |
| 22 Sep 2026 | SpliceCore target-discovery research and therapeutic options | Discovery collaboration | Discovery | Oncology | Undisclosed | — | — |
| 22 Sep 2026 | Human cellular phenotyping technology licensed for Parkinson's disea… | AI company licenses in | Discovery | Neurology | Undisclosed | — | — |
| 21 Sep 2026 | Two initial undisclosed-target small-molecule discovery programmes a… | Discovery collaboration | Discovery | Multiple | Small molecule | $40M | — |
| 17 Sep 2026 | nGen AI-enabled oral macrocycle discovery programs for cardiometabol… | Discovery collaboration | Discovery | Metabolic | Small molecule | — | $1.4B |
| 2 Sep 2026 | Gemini Digital Twin / REFS neurology target-discovery partnership | Discovery collaboration | Discovery | Neurology | Undisclosed | — | — |
Showing up to 10 example deals for the selected view.
Appendix: How an AI Deal Differs From a Typical One, and How We Count
AI dealsOther partnering deals
2018–Oct 2026
Stage
0%50%100%
Therapeutic area
0%50%100%
Modality
0%50%100%
Only categories with enough deals to compare are shown.
What counts. Tracked therapeutic deals in the Deal Library are reviewed individually: the partner is AI-native, the deal explicitly covers a named AI capability, or the announcement says the drug was designed with AI. Coverage remains under review. 13 deals that mention AI only in passing are left out.
Comparisons. “Other deals” means every partnering deal in the library without an AI partner. Prices compare the same kind of deal, and for drug licenses the same stage. Missing figures are never counted as zero. Headline value includes milestones. 7 package deals bundling AI work with other drugs or technology count as deals but not in price comparisons.
Coverage. “First deal on record” means the first in the library. Library as of 23 Oct 2026.
Info
A Deal Library report on how drug developers partner with AI companies, and what they pay.