Variant Bio and Boehringer Ingelheim launched a research and licensing collaboration to discover and validate novel targets for kidney and cardiorenal disease, with Variant Bio eligible for upfront and milestone payments totaling over $120 million. The deal leverages Variant’s Inference AI platform and large genomics‑phenotype datasets to nominate targets, the companies said. Variant emphasized that the partnership pairs its AI‑driven human‑genetics approach with Boehringer’s development and commercial capabilities. The alliance reflects growing pharma interest in computational genomics companies as source partners for kidney disease target discovery.