AstraZeneca inks China AI research deal for chronic diseases

LONDON: AstraZeneca has signed an AI-led research agreement with China’s CSPC Pharmaceutical Group worth up to $5.3 billion, which would help the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker develop therapies for chronic conditions, it said on Friday.

The deal marks the latest effort by AstraZeneca to revive its business in China, its second-biggest market, where it has faced several challenges including the arrest of its China president last year and potential fines related to imports.

Under Friday’s agreement, the two companies will collaborate to discover and develop pre-clinical candidates, including a small molecule oral therapy for immunological diseases, with CSPC conducting AI-driven research in Shijiazhuang City.

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“This strategic research collaboration underscores our commitment to innovation to tackle chronic diseases which impact over two billion people globally,” AstraZeneca executive Sharon Barr said in a statement.

Friday’s agreement follows AstraZeneca’s announcement in March that it will invest $2.5 billion in a R&D hub in Beijing, and it also marks further investment in AI following collaborations with Immunai, Qure.ai, and Tempus AI.