Pierre Fabre Laboratories has launched an integrated collaboration with AI and robotics drug discovery specialist Iktos to identify and develop novel small-molecule candidates in oncology. The partnership will combine the companies’ capabilities in computational design, medicinal chemistry, biology, medical science and preclinical development.
Founded in 2016, Iktos uses generative AI to design molecules in silico, optimizing candidates to meet key success criteria for discovery projects. In 2025 the company received a €2.5 million grant from the European Innovation Council Accelerator, with potential follow-on funding of €5 million, to advance its integrated AI and robotics platform.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed; the deal includes an upfront payment and multiple milestone payments.
Audrey Kauffmann, head of data science and biometry at Pierre Fabre Medical Care R&D, said integrating Iktos’ generative AI and automated chemistry technologies advances the company’s data and AI strategy and aims to improve success rates and speed in oncology drug discovery.
For more than 40 years Pierre Fabre has been an international player in oncology, covering the full value chain from R&D to marketing. In 2024 the company reported €520 million in oncology revenues, 88% of which came from international sales, as part of total group sales of €3.1 billion. Based in southwest France, Pierre Fabre manufactures nearly 90% of its products in France and employs about 10,200 people worldwide.
Pierre Fabre has expanded its precision oncology pipeline with several assets: PFL-241 and PFL-721, mutant-selective EGFR inhibitors for EGFR-driven non-small cell lung cancer; PFL-002, in clinical testing for solid tumours driven by MET genetic alterations; and exarafenib, a pan-RAF inhibitor for RAS/RAF-driven solid tumours.
The company also collaborates with RedRidge Bio to develop biparatopic antibodies for targets in precision oncology, dermatology and rare diseases. These additions complement Pierre Fabre’s existing precision oncology portfolio targeting BRAF, MEK, HER2 and EBV-driven post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder.
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