On July 10, 2026, SIMCERE PHARMA (02096) announced it has recently entered into a global drug discovery and development collaboration agreement with U.S.-based Schrödinger. The partnership aims to leverage the respective strengths of both parties in drug research and development, focus on unmet clinical needs, and utilize SIMCERE PHARMA's expertise in relevant therapeutic areas to jointly advance innovative drug development.

SIMCERE PHARMA's Chief Investment Officer, Zhou Gaobo, stated: "We are very pleased to establish a strategic collaboration with Schrödinger, a global leader in computational drug discovery. The partnership will deeply integrate Schrödinger's world-leading physics and AI-based drug design expertise with SIMCERE PHARMA's efficient R&D capabilities and commercial platform. We look forward to accelerating the discovery, development, and commercialization of cutting-edge therapies through complementary advantages and synergistic innovation, providing more breakthrough treatment options for patients worldwide."

Karen Akinsanya, President, Head of Therapeutic R&D, and Chief Strategic Officer of Schrödinger, commented: "We are delighted to embark on this strategic collaboration with SIMCERE PHARMA to jointly develop innovative drugs that address significant clinical needs. This partnership continues our successful model of discovering innovative clinical candidates for high-value targets. By combining our leading-edge 'predict-first' differentiated drug design capabilities with the exceptional expertise of SIMCERE PHARMA in innovative R&D and clinical development execution in China, we anticipate accelerating the R&D process for novel therapies, bringing more treatment choices to patients globally."

Schrödinger will utilize its leading physics-driven computational platform and professional expertise to be responsible for computer-aided drug design and optimization during the joint drug discovery phase. Following the completion of the joint discovery phase, SIMCERE PHARMA will lead subsequent preclinical research and clinical development.

According to the agreement, Schrödinger is entitled to receive milestone payments related to the discovery, development, and commercialization of the collaborative projects, as well as tiered royalties based on product net sales.