Almirall and Absci Advance AI Drug Discovery with Second Dermatology Target Selection

Almirall and Absci Advance AI Drug Discovery with Second Dermatology Target Selection

(IN BRIEF) Almirall and Absci have expanded their AI-based drug discovery collaboration by selecting a second dermatological target, following the initial success of AI-designed antibody leads against a difficult-to-drug protein. Their partnership, active since November 2023, leverages Absci’s Integrated Drug Creation™ platform—which integrates generative AI with wet-lab validation—and Almirall’s dermatology development expertise. Absci could earn up to $650 million in milestone payments plus royalties, while Almirall manages preclinical and clinical programs. Company leaders highlight the promise of AI-driven de-novo design for unlocking new therapeutic avenues. This next program reaffirms their shared goal of accelerating innovative treatments for chronic skin diseases.

(PRESS RELEASE) BARCELONA, 7-Aug-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Almirall and Absci deepen their AI-driven drug discovery partnership with the selection of a second dermatology target. Building on the successful creation of functional antibody leads against a previously intractable protein, this next program advances the collaboration first announced in November 2023. By combining Absci’s Integrated Drug Creation™ platform—where generative AI iteratively designs and validates novel molecules in concert with wet-lab screening—with Almirall’s clinical and development expertise in medical dermatology, both companies aim to discover breakthrough therapies for chronic skin disorders.

Dr. Karl Ziegelbauer, Chief Scientific Officer at Almirall, praised the results thus far: “Absci’s de-novo AI platform has already demonstrated its ability to tackle historically challenging targets. Expanding our collaboration allows us to leverage these advanced capabilities to innovate treatment options for patients with severe skin conditions.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Absci will apply its AI algorithms and experimental validation to generate candidate therapeutics, while Almirall will steer preclinical studies and clinical trials. Absci stands to receive up to $650 million in upfront, R&D, and post-approval milestones across both programs, in addition to royalties on any resulting products.

Sean McClain, Founder and CEO of Absci, added, “This milestone validates our AI-first design strategy for uncovering novel biology beyond the reach of traditional discovery methods. We look forward to advancing a new generation of AI-designed dermatology therapies alongside Almirall.”

The selection of this second target underscores the partners’ joint commitment to harnessing generative AI for more efficient and innovative drug development in dermatology.

About Almirall

Almirall is a global pharmaceutical company dedicated to medical dermatology. We closely collaborate with leading scientists, healthcare professionals, and patients to deliver our purpose: to transform the patients’ world by helping them realize their hopes and dreams for a healthy life. We are at the forefront of science to deliver ground-breaking, differentiated medical dermatology innovations that address patients´ needs.

Almirall, founded in 1944 and headquartered in Barcelona, is publicly traded on the Spanish Stock Exchange (ticker: ALM, total revenue in 2024: €990 MM, over 2000 employees globally). Almirall products help to improve the lives of patients every day and are available in over 100 countries.
For more information, please visit almirall.com

About Absci

Absci is advancing the future of drug discovery with generative design to create better biologics for patients, faster. Our Integrated Drug Creation™ platform combines cutting-edge AI models with a synthetic biology data engine, enabling the rapid design of innovative therapeutics that address challenging therapeutic targets. Absci’s approach leverages a continuous feedback loop between advanced AI algorithms and wet lab validation. Each cycle refines our data and strengthens our models, facilitating rapid innovation and enhancing the precision of our therapeutic designs. Alongside collaborations with top pharmaceutical, biotech, tech, and academic leaders, Absci is advancing its own pipeline of AI designed therapeutics. These include ABS-101, a potentially best-in-class antibody to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as well as other indications, and ABS-201, a groundbreaking innovation in hair regrowth with the potential to redefine treatment possibilities for androgenetic alopecia, commonly known as male and female pattern baldness. Absci is headquartered in Vancouver, WA, with an AI Research Lab in New York City, and Innovation Center in Switzerland. Learn more at www.absci.com or follow us on LinkedIn (@absci), X (@Abscibio) and YouTube.

Media Contacts:

Almirall

Corporate Communications:
Corporate.communication@almirall.com
Phone: (+34) 659 614 173

Investor Relations:
investors@almirall.com
Phone: (+34) 93 291 30 87

Absci Investor Contact
Alex Khan
VP, Finance & Investor Relations
investors@absci.com

press@absci.com

SOURCE: Almirall, S.A.

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