Bristol Myers Squibb, Chai Partner on AI Antibody Discovery

Editor’s Take: Chai’s agreement with Bristol Myers Squibb demonstrates the increasing speed of adoption of AI models by major pharmaceutical companies. Learn how AI is reshaping early drug development.

Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) has entered a collaboration with Chai Discovery, an AI company, to advance the discovery of therapeutic antibodies using artificial intelligence.

Under the collaboration, Bristol Myers Squibb will leverage Chai’s AI models and platform capabilities, including its molecular folding and design models, to support the discovery of antibody candidates across its portfolio and further its efforts to build an AI-powered, continuously learning discovery system.

Chai Discovery uses AI to predict and reprogram molecular interactions, helping scientists design new biomolecules with specific properties. The company’s models accelerate drug discovery by generating molecules based on defined criteria and compressing discovery cycles to pursue targets that traditional discovery methods have historically struggled to reach.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Bristol Myers Squibb to deploy our technology, including toward diverse drug targets,” said Joshua Meier, co-founder and CEO of Chai Discovery. “By combining Chai’s advanced AI models with Bristol Myers Squibb’s deep therapeutic expertise, we hope to rapidly accelerate the timeline from concept to viable therapeutic candidates.”

Bristol Myers Squibb is the latest biopharmaceutical company to collaborate with Chai Discovery. In June, Pfizer entered a license agreement with Chai Discovery to accelerate drug discovery research.