BioMap has entered a strategic alliance with Sanofi to co-develop AI modules and expedite drug discovery for biotherapeutics.

Drug discovery will be carried out leveraging BioMap’s AI platform that integrates super-scale computing and large language models with advanced biotechnology.

The platform helps to discover new targets and design biologics through an understanding of proteins.

Sanofi will make an upfront cash payment of $10m (€9.43m) and further near-term payments to BioMap for reaching module development milestones.

Based on the achievement of pre-clinical development, clinical development, and regulatory and commercial milestones, BioMap is entitled to receive more than $1bn.

BioMap chief technology officer Le Song stated: “As the largest foundational model-based approach within life sciences, we are thrilled to collaborate with Sanofi and leverage the potential of BioMap’s cutting-edge AI engine to help solve complex problems associated with new protein therapies to drive drug discovery.”

BioMap’s foundational models and AI expertise, together with Sanofi’s data, computational protein engineering innovations and biologics development experience, will be leveraged to create advanced AI models and protein large language models.

Sanofi Research Platforms global head Matt Truppo stated: “By combining Sanofi’s proprietary data sets, digital infrastructure, AI and data science capabilities, and drug development expertise with BioMap’s protein large language models, high-performance computing and deep understanding of AI, we can optimise the process of discovery and development of breakthrough biotherapeutics.

“Our collaboration with BioMap further underscores Sanofi’s commitment to becoming the first pharma company powered by artificial intelligence at scale.”