Iktos and Irimajiri Therapeutics Enter Research Collaboration in Oncology
PARIS, France and Kochi City, Japan — October 1st, 2025 — Iktos, a leader in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics for drug discovery, and Irimajiri Therapeutics, a Japanese biotech specializing in peptide mimetic chemistry, today announced a research collaboration to identify novel inhibitors targeting protein–protein interactions (PPIs) relevant for oncology.
The collaboration brings together Irimajiri’s proprietary peptide mimetic library ACLS, designed to address intracellular PPIs, with Iktos’ AI-driven drug discovery platform, which integrates de novo design, robotics-enabled synthesis, and MT-Bench™ cellular assays. By combining complementary expertise in peptide mimetic scaffolds, AI and robotics, and advanced assays, the companies aim to accelerate the discovery of innovative inhibitors.
The research program is focused on a challenging but highly promising oncology target, where novel PPI inhibitors could open new therapeutic avenues. Such approaches hold potential across both blood cancers and solid tumors, where effective treatment options remain limited and new solutions are urgently needed.
"We are delighted to join forces with Irimajiri Therapeutics in this ambitious research program," said Yann Gaston-Mathé, Co-founder and CEO of Iktos. "Combining their unique peptide mimetic library with our AI-enabled design and MT-Bench™ technologies creates a powerful synergy to accelerate the identification of first-in-class oncology candidates."
Hiroyuki Koji, Head of Research, said, "We are very pleased to be collaborating with Iktos, a company renowned for its AI drug discovery. We believe that our novel peptide mimetic library (ACLS) has the potential to revolutionize the way existing compounds are used for treatment. By collaborating with Iktos, a recognized leader in AI drug discovery, we unlock new possibilities to develop innovative treatments that address long-standing unmet medical needs."
About Irimajiri Therapeutics Inc.
Irimajiri Therapeutics (IRT) is a company that aims to discover new drugs by controlling protein-protein interactions (PPIs) with small molecule compounds using its proprietary peptidomimetic technology. IRT possesses unique peptide mimetic technology that controls PPIs, which transmit various signals within cells, which has previously been difficult to achieve. At the core of this technology is the ACLS (Alkaloid Compound Library System). ACLS has a high probability of producing compounds that act on PPIs, and by combining this with the technology of Iktos, an AI drug discovery company, IRT hopes to develop pharmaceuticals in a short period of time.
About Iktos
Iktos is a global leader in artificial intelligence and robotics for drug discovery. Its generative AI technology designs molecules in silico, optimized to meet all key success criteria of a discovery project. Through software and strategic collaborations with pharmaceutical companies, Iktos combines AI-driven molecular design with robotic synthesis and biological testing, to accelerate drug discovery. With over 60 successful projects to date, Iktos is also advancing its own pipeline of drug candidates in oncology, obesity and metabolism, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The company completed a €15.5M Series A financing round in 2023, co-led by M Ventures and Debiopharm Innovation, with participation from Omnes Capital. In 2024, Iktos acquired Synsight, strengthening its platform with cutting-edge cellular imaging and high-content biological screening capabilities. In 2025, Iktos was awarded a €2.5M grant from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator, with potential follow-on funding of €5M, to advance its integrated AI and robotics platform.
For more information, please write to:
Eleonora Echegaray
marketing@iktos.com
