Takeda signed a multiyear R&D collaboration with AI firm Iambic to accelerate small‑molecule discovery across oncology, gastrointestinal and inflammation targets. The deal reflects Takeda’s strategy to embed machine learning into early discovery workflows and complements a broader push among big pharma to partner with AI specialists. Takeda research chief Andy Plump emphasized that winners will be companies that fully integrate AI into development. The agreement highlights expanding pharma investments in computational platforms to shorten target‑to‑candidate timelines.