A new collaboration has been announced between Iktos, a French company specializing in artificial intelligence applied to drug design, and Nerviano Medical Sciences S.r.l (NMS), an Italian biotech company leading the research and development of innovative cancer therapies. This agreement aims to harness the potential of artificial intelligence in the discovery of new molecules targeting kinases, an unprecedented breakthrough in the field.
Under the terms of the partnership agreement, NMS will capitalize on Iktos’ expertise in drug design. The main objective will be to identify at least one promising candidate molecule using Iktos’ latest-generation generative modeling platform, Makya™. This technology enables the exploration of chemical space to design innovative molecules meeting the drug candidate criteria sought by NMS. The integration of Iktos’ Spaya™ platform, based on AI for retrosynthesis, guarantees good synthetic feasibility of the designed molecules.
Hugues Dolgos, Managing Director of NMS, expressed his satisfaction with the collaboration, saying, “We are excited to collaborate with Iktos to achieve the design and development of a drug candidate for a truly innovative new kinase.”
Dr. Quentin Perron, co-founder and CSO of Iktos, also commented on this landmark agreement: “We are delighted to collaborate with Nerviano Medical Sciences S.r.l, a leading company in oncology drug discovery. At Iktos, our mission is to accelerate drug discovery through AI, and this collaboration is a significant step in that direction.”
Iktos, founded in 2016, is recognized for its expertise in artificial intelligence applied to chemistry research, while NMS focuses on the discovery and clinical development of small molecules for oncology. Their complementary skills and innovative AI-based approach promise major advances in the discovery of new therapies for the treatment of cancer.
This collaboration represents a unique fusion between two cutting-edge companies, using artificial intelligence to push back the boundaries of drug discovery and offer hope to cancer patients.