SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 13 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca has agreed to buy Boston-based Modella AI, the companies said on Tuesday, as the drug industry increases its use of artificial intelligence to accelerate the discovery of new drugs.
The companies did not disclose financial terms. In a press release, Modella AI said its "foundation models" and AI agents would be integrated into oncology research and development to support clinical development and biomarker discovery.
"Oncology drug development is becoming more complex, more data-rich and more time-sensitive," said Gabi Raia, Modella AI's chief commercial officer, adding that joining AstraZeneca would allow it to deploy its tools in global trials and clinical settings.
AstraZeneca said that this was the first acquisition of an AI firm by a big pharmaceutical company.
In an interview at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, AstraZeneca Chief Financial Officer Aradhana Sarin said the acquisition would "supercharge" the company's quantitative pathology and biomarker discovery efforts by bringing more data and AI capabilities in-house.
The deal was one of a number of pacts between major drug firms and AI companies that were unveiled at the healthcare conference, including a $1 billion collaboration between Nvidia and Eli Lilly. They plan to build a new research lab using Nvidia's latest-generation AI chips.
Modella will accelerate AstraZeneca’s efforts to make pathology more quantitative - using computers to analyze biopsies for relevant proteins and correlate them with clinical data - so AstraZeneca can develop “highly targeted biomarkers and then highly targeted therapeutics,” Sarin said.
The deal is an expansion of a multi-year collaboration that the companies unveiled in July.
Sarin said that partnership served as a "test drive," adding that AstraZeneca ultimately wanted Modella's data, foundation models and AI talent in-house.
She said AI tools could be used to more rapidly select patients for drug trials, which could increase the odds of clinical success and cut related costs.
(Reporting by Maggie Fick; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Figure out How to Establish a long term connection with Your Handshake - 2Peloton recalls more than 800,000 bikes after broken seat posts injure users
- 3Instructions to Distinguish the Wellbeing Dangers Related with 5G Pinnacles
- 4Carry Nature Inside with These Staggering Plant Decisions
- 5A Pompeii site reveals the recipe for Roman concrete. It contradicts a famous architect’s writings
- Picking the Right Doctor prescribed Medication Inclusion in Senior Protection.
- Key Little Things That Advantage Old People
- I'm a woman who's into weightlifting. Was I man enough for the creatine-packed 'Man Cereal'?
- Get To Be familiar with The Historical backdrop Of Western Medication
- Nestlé recalls infant formula in 49 countries. See list.
- Bold Colors, Playful Shapes, Handmade Textures: This Mexico City Home Is 100% Joyful!
- Individual Preparation Administrations to Raise Your Wellness Process
- Step by step instructions to Shield Your Wellbeing Around 5G Pinnacles\
- Influencers are selling a delusional fantasy of being postpartum. Why is it so easy to believe?
