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ShenzhenMay 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — XtalPi (2228.HK), a globally leading AI and robotics-driven drug R&D platform company, today announced significant progress in its strategic collaboration with DoveTree Medicines Unus Inc., an innovative biopharmaceutical company, and the receipt of a second milestone payment.
Since the two parties signed a cooperation agreement last June with a total potential value of up to $5.99 billion, the collaboration has continued to achieve remarkable progress. All patents related to the pipeline covered by the initial $51 million upfront payment have been fully transferred to DoveTree. One preclinical candidate (PCC) has already advanced to the IND-enabling study stage. Under the agreement, XtalPi has received a second payment of $19 million. The two parties will further deepen their drug discovery collaboration around established key priorities and continue to accelerate the transition of projects from early discovery to clinical development.
Reshaping Targeting Strategies: From “Undruggable” to Systematic Intervention
This collaboration combines DoveTree’s expertise in target biology and translational medicine with XtalPi’s platform capabilities in computation and automation-enabled drug discovery.
XtalPi’s proprietary dynamic conformation precision modeling platform, powered by quantum physics algorithms and AI-driven multi-scale molecular simulations as dual engines, transcends the limitations of static crystal structure “snapshots.” It simulates the more complete motion processes of target proteins in real physiological environments at atomic precision, achieving a dual leap in the accuracy and efficiency of conformational mechanism insights.
Meanwhile, XtalPi’s AI drug R&D platform, integrating quantum physics, AI, and automated synthesis and testing capabilities, enables efficient integration between virtual molecular screening and physical synthesis, accelerating the feedback loop between molecular design and validation. Leveraging structural information from dynamic conformation models, XtalPi has built protein complex prediction models for hit screening, enabling efficient AI-driven virtual screening. Promising molecules are then precisely assessed for synthesizability and predicted synthesis pathways using XtalPi’s proprietary SureRXN reaction prediction model, before being handed over to large-scale automated robotic experimental clusters for parallel synthesis and activity testing, forming a high-throughput iterative closed loop of “Design-Make-Test-Analyze” (DMTA).
Strong Alliance, Mutual Empowerment
The rapid progress of the collaboration between XtalPi and DoveTree is built on the complementarity of their strengths: DoveTree possesses deep expertise in target biology, translational medicine, and therapeutic modality innovation, while XtalPi enhances the efficiency and scalability of molecular discovery through AI and automation technologies.
The combination of these strengths not only accelerates the transition of new drug R&D projects from the discovery phase into clinical development but also focuses on important targets with clear translational potential that have traditionally been difficult to drug, thereby more effectively addressing significant unmet medical needs.
Under the cooperation agreement, XtalPi is eligible for future milestone payments and sales royalties, allowing the long-term value of its AI platform to be continuously realized as projects advance.
Dr. Wen Shuhao, Chairman of XtalPi, stated: “Our collaboration with DoveTree is consistently delivering verifiable results. This not only validates the advantages of our technological approach but also fills us with confidence in the scaled advancement of subsequent pipelines. XtalPi has successfully completed the full closed loop from target to PCC in multiple R&D projects. We look forward to systematically expanding this model to more high-value targets, providing the industry with more predictable innovation outputs and continuously pushing the boundaries of ‘druggability.'”
Professor Gregory Verdine, Founder of DoveTree, stated: “XtalPi has built an impressive platform with capabilities rooted in the deep integration of AI, physics-based molecular design, and automated synthesis and optimization. These integrated capabilities have the potential to simultaneously enhance the speed and quality of drug discovery against complex biological targets. We are pleased with the progress of our collaboration to date and look forward to advancing more projects toward clinical development.”
About DoveTree Medicines
DoveTree is an innovative biopharmaceutical company focused on developing first-in-class therapies for diseases with significant unmet clinical needs. Founded and led by scientist and entrepreneur Dr. Gregory Verdine, the company combines a deep understanding of biological mechanisms with advanced artificial intelligence technologies to explore novel therapeutic strategies and accelerate the development of transformative medicines. DoveTree is named after the rare and ancient tree species, the dove tree (also known as the “handkerchief tree”), native to Yunnan, China. The company is committed to integrating the cutting-edge R&D innovation capabilities and mature pharmaceutical markets of the United States with China’s rapidly emerging R&D ecosystem and innovative pipeline resources, bringing new hope for human health, much like the flourishing and beautiful “dove tree.”
About XtalPi
XtalPi (“XtalPi Holdings Limited,” stock abbreviation: XtalPi, stock code: 2228.HK) was founded in 2015 by three physicists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is an innovative R&D platform driven by quantum physics, empowered by artificial intelligence, and powered by robotics. The company employs a combination of first-principles calculations based on quantum physics, artificial intelligence, high-performance cloud computing, and scalable and standardized robotic automation to provide drug and materials science R&D solutions and services to global and domestic companies in the pharmaceutical and materials science industries, including agricultural technology, energy and new chemicals, and cosmetics.