TLDR: Almirall and Absci have announced the expansion of their artificial intelligence-driven drug creation collaboration to include a second dermatology target. This move follows the successful initial phase of their partnership, which saw the development of AI-designed antibody leads for a challenging target, underscoring the potential of generative AI in accelerating the discovery of novel therapeutics for skin conditions.
BARCELONA, Spain, and VANCOUVER, Wash. – August 7, 2025 – Almirall (BME: ALM), a global biopharmaceutical company specializing in medical dermatology, and Absci Corporation (Nasdaq: ABSI), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical firm leveraging generative AI for therapeutic advancements, today revealed the expansion of their ongoing AI Drug Discovery collaboration. The partnership will now encompass a second target aimed at dermatological indications, building on the significant progress achieved in their initial joint efforts.
The expanded collaboration stems from the successful delivery of AI-designed, functional antibody leads against a previously difficult-to-drug target, which was the focus of the first phase of their partnership, originally announced in November 2023. This success validates the efficacy of Absci’s Integrated Drug Creation™ platform in addressing complex biological challenges.
Dr. Karl Ziegelbauer, Chief Scientific Officer at Almirall, commented on the development, stating, “Using advanced AI capabilities to design therapeutic candidates against historically challenging disease targets is a highly promising approach and Absci´s de-novo AI platform capabilities have already demonstrated early success. We are pleased to expand our collaboration as we continue to harness AI to help us develop innovative treatments for patients living with severe skin conditions.”
Sean McClain, Founder and CEO of Absci, echoed this sentiment, remarking, “The progress in our collaboration is a testament that AI de novo drug design is a successful approach to unlock novel biology where traditional drug discovery approaches have failed. We’re proud of this milestone and excited to deepen our collaboration with Almirall with the goal of bringing a new generation of AI-created therapeutics for dermatology patients.”
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Under the terms of the agreement, Absci will utilize its generative AI platform alongside its wet lab capabilities to design and validate therapeutic candidates. Almirall will then take the lead on the preclinical and clinical development programs for these candidates. Financially, Absci stands to receive up to approximately $650 million in upfront, research and development, and post-approval milestone payments across both programs, in addition to royalties on potential product sales. This collaboration aims to accelerate the development of novel and breakthrough therapeutics for chronic and debilitating skin diseases, leveraging the power of artificial intelligence to innovate in the field of dermatology.
