Superluminal Medicines, a drug discovery company integrating AI/ML, protein dynamics, and structural biology to rapidly unlock the most challenging G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), has announced a collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company to advance small molecule therapeutics for cardiometabolic diseases and obesity.

Under the terms of the agreement, Superluminal will apply its proprietary drug discovery platform to discover and optimize small-molecule therapeutics for undisclosed GPCR targets relevant to cardiometabolic diseases and obesity, while Lilly will receive exclusive rights to develop and commercialize compounds arising from the collaboration after Superluminal delivers development candidates that meet predefined criteria.

Superluminal is eligible to receive up to USD 1.3 billion, which includes upfront and near-term payments, an equity investment, development and commercial milestones, as well as tiered royalties on net sales.   

Cony D’Cruz, CEO of Superluminal, commented, “Our collaboration with Lilly is a defining moment for Superluminal, and a testament to the power of our platform to deliver high-quality development candidates against historically intractable GPCR targets.”

“Together, we aim to develop next-generation medicines that address the urgent and growing global burden of cardiometabolic disease. We are very excited to be embarking on this collaboration just as we begin to advance our internal drug candidate targeting rare genetic forms of obesity and hypothalamic obesity, and we are committed to bringing safe, efficacious, novel treatments to patients affected by these challenging conditions,” he added.

Superluminal’s platform brings together deep structural biology, machine learning, and proprietary pharmacokinetic and toxicology prediction tools to accelerate the discovery of candidate-ready small molecules. The company has initially focused on GPCRs—a historically challenging target class, where functional selectivity and structural complexity demand next-generation computational solutions.

Its proprietary pipeline validates its platform with initial programs focused on high-value GPCR targets, including its wholly owned lead program, a best-in-class, selective, and biased MC4R agonist for the treatment of obesity, which is expected to enter the clinic in 2026.

Headquartered in Lilly Gateway Labs, Boston, Superluminal is backed by a strong network of investors, including RA Capital Management, Insight Partners, NVentures (NVIDIA’s venture capital arm), Catalio Capital Management, Eli Lilly and Company, Gaingels, and Cooley.