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
Palestinians protest against Israel's new death penalty law - 2Marvel's X-Men are joining the battle in 'Avengers: Doomsday': Watch the teaser
- 3Chinese astronauts’ return to Earth delayed over fears spaceship damaged by debris
- 4Instructions to Explore the Universe of Vehicle Leases
- 5France honors the victims of the Paris attacks' night of terror 10 years on
- This is Countdown, CNN’s newsletter covering NASA’s first time sending humans to deep space in over 50 years
- How to watch ‘The Traitors’ U.K. Season 4 premiere today from the U.S.
- Virtual National Science Foundation internships aren’t just a pandemic stopgap – they can open up opportunities for more STEM students
- RFK Jr.'s vaccine panel delays hepatitis B shot vote after chaotic meeting
- Well known Tea Brands for Each Tea Sweetheart
- Beating Wellbeing Difficulties: Individual Victories in Health
- Ukraine Now Using Drone Boats To Attack Russian Riverine Targets
- Shas threatens to oppose 2026 state budget over haredi food-voucher exclusion
- French and Malaysian authorities are investigating Grok for generating sexualized deepfakes
