AstraZeneca Acquires Modella AI to Expand Oncology AI Capabilities
AstraZeneca has acquired Modella AI, as announced by the Boston-based artificial intelligence company on Tuesday. Focused on life sciences, the acquisition is set to deepen an existing collaboration aimed at advancing the use of multi-modal AI foundation models and AI agents across AstraZeneca’s global oncology portfolio.
The acquisition follows a multi-year agreement announced in July 2025 and marks a significant step in AstraZeneca’s strategy to embed advanced artificial intelligence into oncology research and development. As part of the transaction, Modella AI’s generative and agentic AI platform will be integrated into AstraZeneca’s oncology R&D organisation to support efforts to accelerate clinical development, enhance biomarker discovery, and enable more sophisticated data-driven decision-making across the oncology pipeline. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Integrating Multi-Modal AI Foundation Models into Oncology R&D
The integration will allow Modella AI’s multi-modal foundation models and AI agents to be embedded directly into AstraZeneca’s oncology research environment, enabling the generation of new biological and clinical insights, while also improving automation, scalability, and consistency across data-intensive workflows. The move reflects the increasing complexity, volume, and time sensitivity of oncology drug development, where the ability to deploy AI solutions in global trials and clinical settings is becoming critical.
Gabi Raia, Chief Commercial Officer of Modella AI, said:
“Oncology drug development is becoming more complex, more data-rich, and more time-sensitive, and our companies expect AI solutions that are not only powerful but truly deployable in global trials and clinical settings.”
Jill Stefanelli, PhD, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Modella AI, added:
“By joining AstraZeneca, we can apply our multimodal foundation models and agentic AI platform across a world-class oncology pipeline to accelerate development and help improve outcomes for patients with cancer.”
Founded at the intersection of pathology, clinical data, and advanced generative artificial intelligence, Modella AI has focused on building multi-modal foundation models designed to address some of the most challenging problems in oncology research and development. The acquisition is expected to accelerate the translation of AI methodology into real-world clinical impact by placing the company’s technology directly within a global pharmaceutical research ecosystem.
Faisal Mahmood, PhD, Co-founder of Modella AI and Professor at Mass General Brigham, said:
“Modella AI was built at the intersection of pathology, clinical data, and advanced generative AI to tackle some of the hardest problems in oncology. Integrating our foundation models directly into AstraZeneca’s research ecosystem will help translate methodological advances into real-world impact faster.”
For AstraZeneca, the deal reinforces its broader push to transform drug discovery and clinical development through the deployment of advanced artificial intelligence, particularly in oncology, where precision diagnostics and targeted therapeutics are increasingly interdependent.
Jorge Reis-Filho, Chief of AI for Science Innovation at AstraZeneca, said:
“AstraZeneca is transforming its drug discovery and clinical development through the deployment of innovative and impactful AI solutions. The acquisition of Modella AI provides state-of-the-art frontier pathology foundation models and AI agents that will continue to enable the development of targeted therapeutics along with diagnostics in our oncology portfolio.”
Following the acquisition, Modella AI’s technology will be deployed across AstraZeneca’s oncology programs, supporting the next phase of data-driven research and clinical development as the company seeks to accelerate innovation and improve outcomes for patients with cancer.
About Modella AI
Modella AI is a Boston-based biomedical artificial intelligence company dedicated to advancing healthcare through generative and agentic AI technologies. By combining deep expertise in artificial intelligence and pathology, the company develops multi-modal foundation models and AI agents designed to empower clinicians, improve patient outcomes, and transform medical workflows, with a particular focus on oncology.
Original Source: Modella AI press release, Jan 13, 2026 12:02 PM Eastern Standard Time, BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Modella AI, “Modella AI Announces Acquisition by AstraZeneca to Advance AI-Driven Oncology R&D at Global Scale”
Recommended Companies
More Headlines
