Insilico Medicine, a clinical-stage biotechnology company driven by generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), has announced a co-development collaboration with Hygtia Therapeutics to advance ISM8969, an orally available, brain-penetrant NLRP3 inhibitor being developed for Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders.

Under the agreement, Insilico has granted Hygtia Therapeutics 50 percent worldwide rights to research, develop, manufacture, register and commercialise ISM8969. In exchange, Insilico is eligible to receive upfront and milestone-based payments totalling up to USD 66 million, including an upfront payment of USD 10 million expected within 30 days of the agreement’s effective date.

As part of the collaboration, Insilico will lead the early-stage clinical development of ISM8969, including Investigational New Drug (IND) submission and the Phase I clinical trial, initially targeting Parkinson’s disease. Hygtia Therapeutics will take over responsibility for later-stage global clinical trials, regulatory filings and commercialisation activities.

Commenting on the partnership, Ren Feng, PhD, co-CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of Insilico Medicine, said that targeting neuroinflammation via NLRP3 represents a high-potential approach to treating neurodegenerative and age-related diseases, particularly when combined with AI-enabled drug design.

Hygtia Therapeutics stated that the collaboration supports its global strategy to expand its neuroscience pipeline with innovative, high-quality assets, and highlighted the BBB-penetrating NLRP3 inhibitor as a strong example of its commitment to developing globally competitive therapies.

The NLRP3 inflammasome plays a central role in the innate immune system, and its abnormal activation has been increasingly linked to neuroinflammation and the progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Despite its therapeutic potential, there are currently no approved drugs that directly target NLRP3, underscoring the need for continued research and development in this area.

ISM8969 was discovered and optimised using Chemistry42, Insilico’s proprietary generative chemistry platform. Preclinical studies have demonstrated strong efficacy, a favourable safety profile and significant anti-inflammatory activity across multiple disease models. The molecule’s ability to penetrate the blood–brain barrier is a key differentiator, enhancing its potential to treat CNS and neuroinflammation-related conditions.

Based on a preclinical data, Insilico has nominated ISM8969 as a preclinical candidate and conducted evaluations across a range of neurological disease models.