Insilico’s evolving AI deals: from ‘death by pilot’ to $80M up front

Insilico’s deal with Exelixis indicates AI-driven drug discovery has graduated from exploratory collaborations to serious BD, and highlights how the Hong Kong-based company evolved its partnering strategy as biopharmas began acquiring their own AI capabilities.

Nearly 10 years after its founding, clinical-stage Insilico Medicine Inc. has disclosed over two dozen deals, but its Sept. 12 licensing deal with  Exelixis Inc. (NASDAQ:EXEL), which brought the AI company $80 million up front, marks a turning point in how its technology is valued by the broader biopharma ecosystem. ...