Servier signs €1bn-plus AI pact with Iktos
Iktos' Chemspeed robotics-powered chemistry platform.
In its second AI-focused deal in the space of a week, Servier has announced a partnership with Iktos aimed at finding new, small-molecule therapies for a range of diseases, including cancer and neurological conditions.
The alliance with Paris, France-based Iktos could be worth more than €1 billion in upfront, research funding, and milestone payments, according to the two companies, and covers multiple targets.
Under the terms of the deal, Iktos will use its generative AI and AI-orchestrated robotics platform to come up with candidates that Servier will then take forward into preclinical and clinical development.
It's the latest in a series of collaborations by Servier to build up its pipeline, and comes just a few days after it forged a $888 million alliance with Hong Kong-based Insilico Medicine to use its Pharma.AI drug discovery platform to find new therapies for cancer.
"This partnership with Iktos underscores our commitment to innovative approaches in small-molecule drug discovery as part of our R&D activities," commented Christophe Thurieau, Servier's global head of external R&D.
"We look forward to working with Iktos' teams to deepen target understanding and improve candidate quality to develop therapeutic candidates more efficiently for the benefit of patients across the world," he added.
Iktos was founded in 2016 by Yann Gaston-Mathé, Quentin Perron, and Nicolas Do Huu to develop a deep learning-based platform for drug discovery, based on the in silico design of new molecules using generative AI and rapid, automated synthesis of candidates for testing using a robotics system that can run hundreds of reactions and assays in parallel every day.
The company – which fleshed out its platform with the acquisition of fellow French startup Synsight in 2024 – has previously said its approach could reduce discovery timelines from five years to two or less, whilst significantly improving efficiency and success rates.
The Servier alliance is believed to be its largest to date, although it has previously worked with several other pharma groups, including MSD, Merck, Lundbeck, Pfizer, Orion, and Italfarmaco, according to its website.
"We are proud to enter into this landmark strategic collaboration with Servier, a global group with deep scientific excellence and an ambitious long-term vision for therapeutic innovation," said Gaston-Mathé, who serves as Iktos' chief executive.
"By combining our AI-orchestrated discovery capabilities with Servier's expertise across oncology, neurology, and translational science, we aim to accelerate the discovery of innovative small-molecule therapeutics with the potential to bring meaningful benefits to patients worldwide."
