Elix and Axcelead DDP Enter into Collaborative Research Agreement to Advance Targeted Protein Degrader Discovery: Combining AI Drug Discovery Technologies with Drug Discovery Expertise to Advance Solutions for Challenging Targets

2026.09.09

Tokyo and Fujisawa, Japan, September 9, 2026 – Elix, Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; hereinafter “Elix”) and Axcelead Drug Discovery Partners, Inc. (Headquarters: Fujisawa, Kanagawa; hereinafter “Axcelead DDP”) are pleased to announce that they have entered into a collaborative research agreement aimed at the discovery of novel Targeted Protein Degraders (TPDs).

Elix is an AI drug discovery company that develops and provides Elix Discovery™, an integrated AI drug discovery platform. Using multiple molecular generative models, including proprietary in-house technologies, Elix designs novel molecules while incorporating the expertise of medicinal chemists. In addition, the company applies its drug discovery AI technologies and project experience to collaborative research and technology development with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Axcelead DDP supports a broad range of drug discovery organizations through a continuously evolving drug discovery platform inherited from a major pharmaceutical company, comprising researchers, technologies, facilities, and proprietary drug discovery data. In addition to internal development efforts, the company enhances its platform through strategic external partnerships. By combining extensive drug discovery expertise with its proprietary AI platform, Axcelead DDP is committed to rapidly generating high-quality novel drug candidate compounds.

Through this collaboration, Elix and Axcelead DDP will leverage their complementary strengths in TPD research to develop innovative technologies for addressing challenging drug targets that have been difficult to tackle using conventional drug discovery approaches. Specifically, the companies will jointly develop new AI technologies for drug discovery by combining Axcelead DDP’s molecular structure information, proprietary assay data and extensive drug discovery expertise, together with Elix’s AI-based molecular design and predictive technologies.

By applying these newly developed models to Axcelead DDP’s TPD research platform, the companies aim to improve drug discovery efficiency and increase the probability of success. Furthermore, based on the technologies and insights generated through this collaboration, the companies intend to develop new solutions that will support the drug discovery activities of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide.

“We are delighted to initiate this collaborative research with Axcelead DDP to create novel targeted protein degraders,” said Shinya Yuki, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of Elix. “To maximize the value of AI in drug discovery, it is essential to closely integrate the use of AI for prediction and generative molecular design with experimental validation, while rapidly feeding the resulting data back into the next design cycle. By combining Elix’s AI drug discovery technologies with Axcelead DDP’s extensive expertise and experimental capabilities, we aim to develop new approaches for TPD drug discovery and expand the possibilities of addressing targets that have been difficult to pursue using conventional methodologies.”

“We are pleased to enter into this collaborative research agreement with Elix, a leading AI drug discovery company,” said Kengo Okada, Ph.D., Representative Director, President & CEO of Axcelead DDP. “Elix has established a highly regarded AI drug discovery platform and possesses extensive experience and expertise in targeted protein degrader drug discovery – one of the most promising next-generation small-molecule modalities. By integrating Axcelead DDP’s proprietary drug discovery data and expertise in assay development with Elix’s advanced AI capabilities, we believe we can provide new solutions for our clients. Through strategic partnerships with companies possessing cutting-edge technologies, Axcelead DDP will continue to contribute to the creation of innovative medicines.”

About Elix
Elix is an AI drug discovery company with the mission of “Rethinking Drug Discovery.” Its flagship software platform, Elix Discovery™, is an integrated AI drug discovery platform developed around the concept that “medicinal chemists can truly use it.”
In addition to providing this core platform, Elix combines AI engineering with medicinal chemistry expertise to offer hands-on consulting and support, collaborative research, and contract-based AI model development. Through these activities, Elix works with pharmaceutical companies, universities, research institutions, and biotech startups to reduce the substantial costs and time associated with drug discovery while improving the probability of successful outcomes, and aims to contribute to the creation of innovative medicines.
For more information, please visit https://www.elix-inc.com/

About Axcelead DDP
Axcelead DDP is Japan’s first drug discovery solutions provider, established in July 2017 after inheriting the drug discovery platform from Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. We provide comprehensive drug discovery services through a fully integrated research platform that consolidates all essential functions and infrastructure—including a large-scale compound library, screening, chemistry, pharmacology/biology, DMPK and safety—under one roof. Furthermore, by combining our extensive experience and expertise with a proprietary AI platform, we can rapidly generate high-quality novel drug candidate compounds. This integrated setup enables us to deliver efficient and flexible one-stop solutions through a seamless framework, tailored to meet diverse needs in drug discovery from target identification to bridging into clinical development.
For more information, please visit https://axcelead-us.com/