AstraZeneca Signs AI Drug Discovery Deal With Insitro

07:04 AM EDT, 10/15/2026 (MT Newswires) -- AstraZeneca (AZN) said Thursday that it has signed a drug discovery and licensing deal with Insitro to develop treatments for fatty liver disease and heart muscle disorders. The deal stipulates that AstraZeneca will pay $40 million upfront, with Insitro eligible for up to $1.46 billion in potential development and commercial milestones, AstraZeneca said. Insitro will use its artificial intelligence platform to identify disease drivers and move AstraZeneca-selected targets toward development candidates, AstraZeneca said. The agreement carries potential single-digit royalties based on global commercial sales and gives AstraZeneca exclusive worldwide rights to any programs that emerge, AstraZeneca said. The work targets fatty liver disease, also known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis or MASH, and cardiomyopathies, it said. Shares of AstraZeneca were up nearly 3% in recent Thursday premarket activity.