Exscientia to Collaborate with Merck KGaA Darmstadt in Deal Potentially Valued at $674M
Exscientia plc (Nasdaq: EXAI) has entered a multi-year collaboration with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany focused on the discovery of novel small molecule drug candidates in oncology, neuroinflammation and immunology.
Exscientia is eligible to receive up to $674 million in discovery, development, regulatory and sales-based milestones for three projects, in addition to single to double digit royalty payments on net sales as part of the deal.
Professor Andrew Hopkins FRS FMedSci, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Exscientia, said, “We’re pleased that Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany chose our team of experts for this AI-led drug discovery collaboration. We look forward to complementing their outstanding scientific acumen with our integrated technology platform and ability to generate novel data in order to address some of the hardest drug design challenges in cancer and immunology.”
Highlights
Exscientia’s AI-driven precision drug design and discovery capabilities will be combined with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany’s expertise in oncology and neuroinflammation, clinical development capabilities and global footprint.
Three potential first-in-class or best-in-class targets have been identified as the initial focus of the partnership.
The upfront cash payment of $20 million is expected to be reflected in Exscientia’s 2H 2023 financial results.
The collaboration will leverage Exscientia’s precision design capabilities to focus on previously unsolved drug design challenges.
About Exscientia
Exscientia is an AI-driven precision medicine company committed to discovering, designing and developing the best possible drugs in the fastest and most effective manner. Exscientia developed the first-ever functional precision oncology platform to successfully guide treatment selection and improve patient outcomes in a prospective interventional clinical study, as well as to progress AI-designed small molecules into the clinical setting. Our internal pipeline is focused on leveraging our precision medicine platform in oncology, while our partnered pipeline broadens our approach to other therapeutic areas. By pioneering a new approach to medicine creation, we believe the best ideas of science can rapidly become the best medicines for patients. For more information visit us on www.exscientia.ai or follow us on Twitter @exscientiaAI.
