Relation Therapeutics announced it has formed a multi-program, strategic collaboration with Novartis aiming to advance therapeutic solutions for atopic diseases.

The collaboration agreement joins Relation’s AI-powered drug discovery platform and human data generation capabilities with Novartis’s expertise in immuno-dermatology to identify, validate, and advance potential first-in-class targets for atopic diseases that are driven by immune dysregulation.¹

Relation’s AI-powered drug discovery platform, Lab-in-the-Loop, integrates AI with patient-derived multi-omic data along with proprietary experimental systems to potentially uncover causal genes and refine target hypotheses.¹

The partnership’s focus is centered on advancing and developing therapeutic treatments for atopic diseases which includes asthma, allergies, and eczema. Atopic diseases, a group of allergic conditions patients often have together, are caused by IgE antibodies that overreact to allergy triggers, such as pollen or foods.²

“Atopic diseases affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Our technology defines the molecular pathways in diseased tissue compared to healthy tissue to help discover possible new therapeutics for medicines. Together with Novartis’s development and commercialization capabilities, we can potentially deliver medicines that transform the standard of care,” said David Roblin, chief executive officer of Relation.

What are the terms of the Relation and Novartis’ collaboration agreement?

Per the terms of the agreement, Relation is set to receive a total payment of $55 million, comprising of an upfront payment, equity investment, and additional R&D funding.¹ The collaboration also grants Relation eligibility to receive preclinical, development, regulatory, and commercial sales milestones upwards of $1.7 billion, along with tiered royalties on net sales of products.¹

As outlined in the collaboration agreement, Relation is expected to lead observational studies generating functional cell atlases, directly from the tissue of patients, capturing the disease state in humans with unprecedented resolution.¹ This approach reduces the risk of clinical failure by ensuring targets are robustly validated before entering the clinic. Novartis will have worldwide development and commercialization rights to any resulting targets.

“At Novartis, we are dedicated to harnessing cutting-edge, AI-driven approaches that enhance novel target identification and accelerate drug discovery, delivering innovative medicines for patients in need,” said Fiona H. Marshall, Ph.D., president of biomedical research at Novartis. “Our collaboration with Relation will combine complementary expertise, technologies and capabilities to advance new options for patients living with atopic diseases.”

Relation’s Lab-in-the-loop continues to draw attention

Along with drawing attention from Novartis, Relations AI-powered drug discovery platform has also caught the eyes of the company’s investors, as the company revealed a $26 million investment from investors NVentures, DCVC, and Magnetic Ventures respectfully.³

“Relation’s unique combination of computation, experimentation, and patient data will reduce failure rates in drug development and transform the way we treat common, devastating diseases. DCVC has supported Relation since its very beginning, and we’re pleased by this further validation of the company’s approach,” said Jason Pontin, General Partner at DCVC.

“The mission of Relation is clear, to discover the next generation of medicines through technology, transforming patients’ lives,” said David Roblin, CEO of Relation.

Sources

1. Relation Announces Strategic Collaboration with Novartis to Advance Therapeutics for Atopic Diseases Relation Therapeutics December 9, 2025 https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/12/09/3202076/0/en/Relation-announces-strategic-collaboration-with-Novartis-to-advance-therapeutics-for-atopic-diseases.html
2. Atopy: Disease, Causes, Triggers, Conditions & Treatment Clevland Clinic October 3, 2024 https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/atopy
3. Relation Announces Further $26 Million Investment Relation Therapeutics December 9, 2025 https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/12/09/3202075/0/en/Relation-announces-further-26-million-investment.html