AstraZeneca and CSPC Forge $5.33B AI-Powered Drug Discovery Alliance

AstraZeneca has entered a strategic research collaboration with China's CSPC Pharmaceutical Group, aiming to accelerate the discovery of novel oral therapies for chronic diseases. The partnership, valued at up to $5.33 billion, focuses on leveraging CSPC's AI-driven drug discovery platform to identify pre-clinical candidates, including a small molecule oral therapy for immunological disorders .

Under the agreement, CSPC will receive an upfront payment of $110 million and is eligible for up to $1.62 billion in development milestone payments and $3.6 billion in sales-based milestones, along with potential royalties on future sales . AstraZeneca will have the option to exclusively license and commercialize any successful candidates globally.

The research will be conducted at CSPC's facilities in Shijiazhuang City, utilizing their AI platform that analyzes protein-compound interactions to optimize potential treatments . This collaboration aligns with AstraZeneca's broader strategy to expand its presence in China, following a $2.5 billion investment announced earlier this year to establish a global R&D hub in Beijing .