New Delhi, India, October 1, 2025-In a major step forward for AI drug discovery, Bristol Myers Squibb and Takeda Pharmaceuticals have announced a strategic partnership aimed at accelerating the development of new medicines. The two pharmaceutical giants are collaborating with other industry leaders to train a powerful artificial intelligence model that could transform how drugs are discovered and developed.
The initiative includes Astex Pharmaceuticals, AbbVie, and Johnson & Johnson, all of whom are contributing proprietary data to support the training of OpenFold3. This AI model is designed to predict how proteins interact with small molecules an essential process in identifying effective drug candidates. The project is being coordinated by Apheris, a life sciences company based in Germany, which provides the secure data-sharing infrastructure.
Unlike traditional data-sharing methods, this collaboration uses a federated model. Each company retains control of its sensitive data while still participating in the AI training process. Apheris’ platform enables this by allowing data to remain in its original location, ensuring privacy and security while still contributing to the collective effort.
The shared data includes thousands of experimentally determined protein small molecule structures. These structures are critical for understanding how drugs behave in the human body. By pooling this information, the consortium aims to improve the accuracy of OpenFold3 and enhance its ability to identify promising compounds.
“This collaboration allows us to build predictive models that no single company could develop on its own,” said Payal Sheth, Vice President of Discovery Biotherapeutics at Bristol Myers Squibb. “It’s a powerful example of how working together can lead to faster innovation and better outcomes for patients.”
Hans Bitter, Head of Computational Sciences at Takeda, echoed this sentiment. “This project fits perfectly with our goal of embedding AI into every part of our work. It also shows how pharma companies can unite to achieve more than we ever could individually.”
OpenFold3 is the flagship initiative of the AI Structural Biology Network, a research consortium led by industry experts in collaboration with the AlQuraishi Lab at Columbia University. The network focuses on using artificial intelligence to solve complex biological problems, and OpenFold3 is one of its most ambitious projects to date.
The use of AI in drug development is becoming increasingly common. Traditional methods can take years and cost billions of dollars. AI models like OpenFold3 can analyze vast amounts of biological data quickly, helping researchers identify potential drug candidates in a fraction of the time.
This partnership also reflects a broader shift in the pharmaceutical industry toward open collaboration. Companies are now more willing to share data and resources to tackle major challenges especially when it comes to using advanced technologies like artificial intelligence.
By working together, these companies are not only accelerating drug discovery but also setting a new standard for how innovation can be achieved in healthcare. The federated data-sharing model ensures that privacy is maintained while still enabling meaningful collaboration.
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The success of OpenFold3 could have far-reaching effects. If the model proves effective, it could lead to faster breakthroughs in medicine, more personalized treatments, and a more efficient drug development process overall. It may also pave the way for future collaborations that use AI to solve other pressing healthcare problems.
As AI continues to evolve, projects like OpenFold3 demonstrate the potential of combining cutting-edge technology with industry-wide cooperation. Bristol Myers, Takeda, and their partners are showing that when companies unite around a shared goal, they can achieve remarkable progress.
This drug discovery initiative marks a turning point in AI drug discovery. It highlights the importance of collaboration, innovation, and trust in shaping the future of medicine. With OpenFold3, the pharmaceutical industry is taking a bold step toward faster, smarter, and more effective drug development.
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