AbbVie and Iambic Therapeutics have announced a multi-year collaboration aimed at advancing AI-driven drug discovery. The agreement centers on Iambic’s proprietary platform, which integrates Enchant v3—a multimodal transformer model—and NeuralPLexer, designed to optimize and evaluate molecular properties simultaneously. Enchant v3 is trained on over 6,000 molecular properties, enabling faster and more efficient candidate assessment than traditional methods. Iambic, a clinical-stage biotech, previously advanced a drug candidate to the clinic in approximately two years using its technology, underscoring its track record in accelerating R&D timelines.
The partnership spans AbbVie’s North Chicago and San Diego operations, focusing on small-molecule drug discovery across immunology, neuroscience, and oncology. Under the terms, Iambic will receive an upfront payment, milestone-based compensation, and tiered royalties on net sales from commercialized products. While exact financial details remain undisclosed, the collaboration reflects AbbVie’s strategic push into AI-driven innovation, as highlighted by Nicholas Donoghoe, Executive Vice President and Chief Business and Strategy Officer at AbbVie. Donoghoe stated, ‘We are excited about the purpose-built AI capabilities Iambic is bringing to our Discovery scientists. We believe AI will be a powerful catalyst for scientific innovation across AbbVie.’
Iambic’s CEO, Tom Miller, emphasized the collaboration’s potential to address unmet patient needs, noting, ‘We are eager to bring Iambic’s molecular superintelligence platform to bear alongside AbbVie’s world-class team.’ The partnership underscores the growing intersection of AI and pharmaceutical R&D, positioning both companies at the forefront of next-generation drug discovery efforts.
