Novartis pays Schrödinger $150M, bets billions on the back end to form drug discovery pact

(November 12, 2024) by Nick Paul Taylor.

ovartis is paying $150 million for a closer look at Schrödinger’s catalog of programs. The Big Pharma will work with Schrödinger to advance some of the computing-enabled R&D shop’s discovery programs and identify candidates against additional targets.

Schrödinger made its name in the 1990s as a developer of R&D software before moving deeper into drug development, first through projects such as the spinout Nimbus Therapeutics and later by building out its own capabilities. The jury remains out on the success of the expansion—investors have sent the stock down 44% this year—but Novartis sees promise in some of the assets Schrödinger has identified.