Pierre Fabre Laboratories and Iktos announce oncology collaboration
Esme Needham | January 21, 2026 | News story | Research and Development | Iktos, Oncology, Pierre Fabre Laboratories
Pierre Fabre Laboratories and Iktos have announced a new collaboration intended to discover and develop new small-molecule drug candidates for oncology.
The terms of the collaboration state that Iktos will use its AI-driven generative design platform to help discover optimised small-molecule candidates to tackle an oncology target that remains undisclosed. Pierre Fabre will guide the selection and development of candidate molecules through its established knowledge of preclinical research in oncology.
The agreement will include an upfront payment, as well as multiple milestone payments. It will combine the strengths of both companies, including computational design, biology, medicinal chemistry and preclinical development.
Pierre Fabre is a dermo-cosmetics company whose Medical Care branch encompasses oncology, dermatology, rare diseases, primary care and family health care. It has recently added a number of oncology assets to its R&D pipeline.
Audrey Kauffmann, head of data science and biometry at Pierre Fabre Medical Care R&D, said: “By integrating Iktos’ generative AI and automated chemistry technologies into our research platforms, we are taking a step toward realising our data and AI strategy. This cooperation exemplifies our ambition to leverage cutting-edge innovation to improve the quality and probability of success in drug discovery, while accelerating the delivery of meaningful advances for patients in oncology.”
Iktos is a company specialising in the application of AI and robotics to drug discovery. It also has its own pipeline of drug candidates in oncology and other medical fields.
Yann Gaston-Mathé, co-founder and CEO of Iktos, said: “This collaboration exemplifies the powerful complementarity between Iktos’ generative AI and automated chemistry technologies and Pierre Fabre’s deep scientific and clinical development expertise. Together, we intend to create the optimal framework to rapidly and efficiently progress innovative small-molecule candidates in oncology, with the aim of bringing meaningful therapeutic advances to patients worldwide.”
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