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
Midlife weight gain can start long before menopause – but you can take steps early on to help your body weather the hormonal shift - 2EU agrees on agriculture safeguards as fronts harden in Mercosur deal
- 3The 10 Most Famous Works of art Ever
- 4Winter storm headed for Midwest to Northeast. Here's how much snow to expect.
- 5Chinese fossils reveal a primordial burst of animal evolution
- 5 Superstar Couples That Motivate Relationship Objectives
- The Delight of Camper Vans: Choosing the One That Meets Your Requirements
- Individual Preparation Administrations to Raise Your Wellness Process
- Artemis II's moonbound toilet is working again to astronauts' relief after overnight fix
- The most effective method to Help a Friend or family member Determined to have Cellular breakdown in the lungs
- Which Kind of Pet Makes the Incomparable Buddy?
- Signature Scents: A Manual for Outstanding Fragrances
- What you need to know about desalination, a growing source of drinking water
- Scientists sent a menstrual cup to space. This is how it went
