Takeda signed a multiyear R&D partnership with San Diego‑based Iambic to accelerate small‑molecule discovery across oncology, gastrointestinal and inflammation targets. The collaboration will integrate Iambic’s AI platform into Takeda’s discovery workflows on undisclosed targets, the companies announced. Takeda research chief Andy Plump framed AI integration as a defining competitive edge, saying firms that fully integrate AI over the next five years will win in drug development. The deal follows Takeda’s recent string of AI partnerships, underscoring a strategic shift toward machine‑assisted target selection and design. The partnership aims to combine Takeda’s therapeutic expertise with Iambic’s computational chemistry and generative models to shorten lead identification timelines and improve candidate quality.