Insitro Extends Collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb Using ChemML™ Platform
Wednesday, October 15, 2025
insitro, a company specialising in machine learning–driven drug discovery, has extended its collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) to discover new molecules for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
The extension will use insitro’s AI-enabled ChemML™ platform to develop new medicines targeting a novel ALS target identified during the initial biological evaluation phase. The one-year extension may provide up to $20 million in additional funding. If a new therapeutic is successfully developed, insitro could receive over $2 billion in discovery, development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments, in addition to royalty payments.
insitro’s ChemML™ platform integrates AI-driven modelling, medicinal chemistry, and structural biology to enable rapid design and optimisation of small molecules. The platform combines large-scale data generation, predictive pharmacological property modelling, and an iterative AI-driven “design-make-test” cycle supported by a high-performance compute cluster. This approach allows new chemical compounds to be designed and refined efficiently, even for challenging targets.
The collaboration initially focused on identifying shared underlying biology in ALS to develop therapies for both familial and sporadic forms of the disease. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that causes loss of motor neurons, leading to muscle weakness, respiratory failure, and reduced survival, with a median life expectancy of three to five years after diagnosis.
The extended collaboration aims to advance promising ALS drug candidates while continuing to explore additional targets, accelerating the development of potential disease-modifying treatments.
Source: insitro.com
