Helsinn Healthcare SA, a global pharmaceutical group, has announced a strategic collaboration with the Lugano-based AI drug discovery startup, InVirtuoLabs. This partnership aims to leverage generative artificial intelligence to accelerate the discovery and development of novel small-molecule therapeutics. The alliance combines Helsinn's extensive pharmaceutical experience and proprietary compound library with InVirtuoLabs' advanced AI platform to address unmet needs in cancer and chronic diseases.
A Strategic Alliance in Drug Discovery
Under the agreement, Helsinn will grant InVirtuoLabs access to its proprietary library of structurally diverse chemical compounds. This library includes validated hits with confirmed biological activity against a currently undisclosed therapeutic target. This access provides a rich dataset for InVirtuoLabs' AI to begin its analysis and design process, starting from already promising chemical matter.
InVirtuoLabs will deploy its generative chemistry platform, InVirtuoGEN, to design, optimize, and prioritize new drug candidates based on Helsinn's library. The primary goal is to efficiently progress from initial hits to optimized lead compounds that exhibit drug-like properties. These selected compounds will then be suitable for advancement into preclinical development for the targeted therapeutic indications.
Fusing Pharmaceutical Expertise with AI Innovation
This collaboration represents a significant step in Helsinn's strategy to embrace cutting-edge technologies for therapeutic innovation. Gabriele Edoardo Braglia, Chief Business Officer and Deputy CEO of Helsinn, emphasized that this fusion of established pharmaceutical expertise with next-generation AI opens new avenues for delivering meaningful solutions to patients. The partnership is a testament to the company's commitment to accelerating innovation through strategic technological adoption.
InVirtuoLabs' Technological Prowess
Founded in 2024, InVirtuoLabs has quickly established itself as a formidable player in the AI drug discovery space. The startup's core technology is its InVirtuoPlatform, a proprietary system that uses AI and molecular modeling to identify and optimize drug candidates with high precision. In October 2025, its AI model, InVirtuoGEN, set a new global performance standard by outperforming benchmarks proposed by NVIDIA.
The Promise of Generative Chemistry
The technology at the heart of this partnership promises to revolutionize the traditional drug development timeline and cost structure. InVirtuoLabs' approach aims to significantly reduce development times, which currently average 12 years, and cut costs that can exceed $2.8 billion per drug. By doubling success rates compared to conventional methods, this AI-driven process could make new treatments more accessible and affordable.
A Milestone for a Rising Star
For a young company like InVirtuoLabs, securing an R&D agreement with a major pharmaceutical firm is a noteworthy achievement. Gianvito Grasso, Founder and CEO of InVirtuoLabs, highlighted the rarity of such an opportunity, viewing it as a chance to showcase the company's technological superiority. This collaboration validates the trust and vision of established players like Helsinn in the transformative potential of AI-based drug discovery.
The strategic alliance between Helsinn and InVirtuoLabs marks a pivotal moment in the integration of artificial intelligence into pharmaceutical research and development. By combining Helsinn's deep industry knowledge with InVirtuoLabs' groundbreaking generative AI, this collaboration is poised to accelerate the creation of novel therapeutics. This forward-thinking partnership not only enhances the drug discovery pipeline but also signals a broader industry shift towards more efficient, technology-driven innovation for patient benefit.