Japan-based Taisho Pharmaceutical Co Ltd has signed a research collaboration with Hong-Kong-based Insilico to identify novel therapeutics against aging, it was reported on Thursday.

Insilico Medicine is to use both the target discovery and generative chemistry parts of its Pharma.AI platform in this collaboration. The company is to utilise its proprietary Pandomics Discovery Platform to identify novel targets for senolytic drugs and Chemistry42 platform for a molecular generation. The partnership brings together Insilico's artificial intelligence technologies in drug discovery with Taisho's expertise in drug development, intended to extend the human health span.

According to the terms of the contract, Insilico Medicine will receive an upfront payment and milestone payments upon achievement of specified goals. Under the contract, Insilico Medicine will be responsible for early research phase target identification and molecular generation and Taisho will work collaboratively with Insilico in validating the results in various in vitro and in vivo assays. Taisho has the exclusive option to acquire Insilico's co-ownership of the successfully developed programs under agreed payment.