Eli Lilly and AI‑driven drug‑design firm Chai Discovery announced a collaboration on January 9, 2026 that will deploy Chai’s zero‑shot antibody‑design platform to accelerate the discovery of novel biologic therapeutics across cardiometabolic, oncology and immunology indications.
Chai’s platform, which has demonstrated double‑digit experimental hit rates (16‑20 %) in early studies, will be used to generate candidate antibodies in weeks rather than the months traditionally required. The partnership will also create a purpose‑built AI model that is trained exclusively on Lilly’s proprietary data, giving Lilly a unique, in‑house capability to iterate designs faster and with higher confidence.
The deal fits into Lilly’s broader AI strategy, which includes the TuneLab platform that offers AI models to external partners and a high‑performance supercomputer built with NVIDIA. Lilly’s recent acquisition of Ventyx Biosciences further expands its immunology pipeline, and the Chai partnership is expected to deepen Lilly’s biologics portfolio and shorten time‑to‑market for new therapies.
While the financial terms of the collaboration have not been disclosed, the partnership is expected to provide Lilly with a competitive edge by reducing discovery timelines, improving hit rates, and enabling more efficient resource allocation across its biologics pipeline. The collaboration also signals Lilly’s commitment to integrating AI throughout its R&D process, a move that could influence future investment and partnership decisions.
Lilly’s senior vice president of R&D IT, Ramesh Durvasula, said the company’s scientists will “outperform those who don’t” when they leverage AI, while Chai CEO Diogo Rau expressed excitement about combining Chai’s expertise with Lilly’s scale to impact patients’ lives.
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