Synfini, Inc. and Multispan have entered into a strategic collaboration to co-discover and develop drug candidates against an undisclosed G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) target, the companies announced on May 21, 2025. The partnership aims to address significant unmet medical needs by combining Multispan's expertise in GPCR biology and assay capabilities with Synfini's AI-driven agile chemistry platform.
The collaboration has already yielded early success, with Helena Mancebo, CEO of Multispan, stating, "By using Synfini's AI design and rapid chemistry automation tools we have already achieved our first milestones in the collaboration." The target is described as a "publicly available high-value target," though specific details remain undisclosed.
Accelerating Drug Discovery Through AI and Automation
At the core of this partnership is Synfini's Cloud Foundry platform, which accelerates the "design-make-test-analyze" (DMTA) cycles essential to molecular discovery. The platform integrates neuro-symbolic AI with robotic automation and chemistry data to streamline the drug discovery process.
"Multispan brings the best assays available to improve GPCR drug discovery that, when combined with the Synfini platform, can drive significant reductions in discovery cycle times," explained Doug Donzelli, CEO of Synfini.
The Cloud Foundry platform enables drug researchers to perform complex multi-parametric optimization directly from their desktops, facilitating small molecule hit discovery, hit-to-lead progression, and lead optimization. This approach is designed to identify better preclinical drug candidates with greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Commercial Availability of Combined Technologies
Beyond their initial collaboration on a specific GPCR target, the two companies have agreed to make their combined technology platforms commercially available to the broader drug discovery community. This offering will create what they describe as a "one stop shop" for accelerated drug discovery using AI, automation, and cutting-edge biology.
The commercial service will be available to clients and partners working on their own GPCR targets and other target classes. Additionally, drug candidates resulting from the current collaboration will be made available to customers seeking advanced preclinical assets for clinical development.
Expertise of the Collaborators
Synfini, based in Menlo Park, California, has established itself as a pioneer in agile chemistry with its automated molecular discovery platform. The company provides accelerated molecular discovery services to drug researchers across academia, biotech, and major pharmaceutical companies globally.
Multispan, located in the California Bay Area, brings two decades of experience in cell-based potency assays and high-throughput compound screening, with particular expertise in GPCRs. The company has contributed to advancing numerous drugs into clinical trials while developing over 600 HTS-ready stable cell line clones and more than 2,000 high-throughput screening assays.
Significance for GPCR Drug Discovery
GPCRs represent one of the most important target classes in drug discovery, accounting for approximately 34% of all FDA-approved drugs. These cell surface receptors are involved in numerous physiological processes and are implicated in a wide range of diseases, making them attractive targets for therapeutic intervention.
The integration of Multispan's biological expertise with Synfini's AI and automation capabilities addresses key challenges in GPCR drug discovery, including the complexity of receptor signaling pathways and the need for specialized assay systems to evaluate compound activity.
This collaboration exemplifies the growing trend toward technology-driven partnerships in pharmaceutical R&D, where complementary expertise and platforms are combined to overcome traditional bottlenecks in the drug discovery process.
