insitro extends research collaboration with BMS

insitro, a US pioneer in machine learning–driven drug discovery and development, and pharma major Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) have announced the next phase of their collaboration to discover new molecules with potential as new treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

The collaboration extension will leverage insitro’s AI-enabled ChemML platform to design new medicines for a novel ALS target that was identified in the first biological evaluation phase and may provide up to $20 million in new funding for the one-year extension. The successful delivery of a new therapeutic from the collaboration could have an aggregate value of more than $2 billion in discovery, development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments to insitro in addition to royalty payments.

The companies first collaborated in 2020, when they entered into a five-year, discovery deal focused on the discovery and development of novel therapies for ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).