Alnylam Pharmaceuticals will leverage Inceptive Nucleics’ generative machine learning models to accelerate the development of RNA interference therapies.
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals is linking up with Inceptive Nucleics in a deal that aligns with the growing biopharma trend of using generative AI to aid drug development.
The Massachusetts biotech is fronting $30 million for access to Inceptive’s machine learning engine to expedite the discovery and development of drug candidates, according to a press announcement on Wednesday. All told, the back-loaded deal could reach up to $2 billion in value, inclusive of preclinical, regulatory and commercial milestones.
Inceptive’s AI model identifies and learns underlying biological processes surrounding a particular disease, adjusting to different drug modalities without needing to be retrained, the companies said.
With access to such a platform, Alnylam hopes to optimize siRNA design and selection, taking into consideration the molecules’ sequence and chemical modifications, to “prioritize the most promising molecules and improve experimental productivity,” the biotech said Wednesday.
Biopharma in recent weeks has been rapidly integrating advanced AI models into the business of drug development.
Last month, Eli Lilly, Bristol Myers Squibb and Incyte each brought on respective AI partners in a bid to improve the efficiency of various areas of their businesses.
A few days earlier, Isomorphic Labs closed a $2.1 billion funding round, which analysts at the time said is the second-largest biotech financing haul of all time. Isomorphic was able to raise this sum despite having no asset in the clinic.
AI has also helped the biotech public markets, with experts telling BioSpace earlier this year that the tech has helped drive the uptick of initial public offerings in 2026.
“AI is fundamentally changing the risk calculus in biotech investing,” Tyrone Lam, chief business officer at GATC Health, an AI-centric tech-bio company, said in an April interview.
For Alnylam, the Inceptive deal follows in the footsteps of the biotech’s March collaboration with Tenaya Therapeutics that is focused on the development of RNA interference therapies for cardiovascular diseases. That partnership cost Alnylam $10 million upfront with a potential $1.13 billion more in milestones.
