Insilico Medicine Strikes 50-50 Global Co-Development Deal on AI-Discovered NLRP3 Inhibitor ISM8969

New updates have been reported about Insilico Medicine.

Insilico Medicine has entered an exclusive 50-50 worldwide co-development and licensing agreement with Hygtia Therapeutics for ISM8969, a brain-penetrant NLRP3 inhibitor for central nervous system disorders discovered on Insilico’s generative AI platform, Chemistry42. Under the deal, Insilico grants Hygtia half of the global rights to research, develop, register, manufacture, and commercialize ISM8969, and in return is eligible to receive up to USD 66 million in upfront and milestone payments, including an initial USD 10 million payment expected within 30 days of the agreement’s effective date. Insilico will lead the IND filing and Phase 1 clinical trial in Parkinson’s disease, after which Hygtia will take over later-stage development, regulatory submissions, and commercialization, enabling Insilico to share development risk while retaining material economic and strategic upside from a key AI-generated asset.

ISM8969 targets the NLRP3 inflammasome, a validated driver of neuroinflammation implicated in Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and other neurodegenerative conditions, an area with no approved direct NLRP3 inhibitors and significant unmet medical need. Preclinical data indicate strong efficacy, a favorable safety profile, robust anti-inflammatory activity, and meaningful blood–brain barrier penetration, a property that Insilico’s co-CEO and CSO Ren Feng highlighted as a major development challenge that the company addressed using its AI-driven design capabilities. The collaboration showcases Insilico’s strategy as a recently listed Hong Kong biotech (03696.HK) to monetize and de-risk its AI-discovered pipeline through shared-rights partnerships while advancing high-value CNS programs with best-in-class potential. For investors and partners, the agreement provides non-dilutive capital, external clinical execution leverage, and a clearer pathway to potential global commercialization of an innovative neuroinflammation asset emerging from Insilico’s broader Pharma.AI platform.