GSK pens $110M biological datasets pact with AI biotech Relation

MedTech GSK pens $110M biological datasets pact with AI biotech Relation By Ben Adams Jul 30, 2026 9:46am GSK Artificial Intelligence AI and Machine Learning Biotech GSK is boosting its AI chops with a new deal worth up to $110 million with Relation. The British Big Pharma and AI-focused biotech will work together in a new research collaboration focused on “generating large-scale human cellular perturbation data and deploying them into models,” according to a July 30 release. Perturbation data are collections of biological measurements that track how systems respond to changes and are typically used in the early stages of drug development.

Under the pact, London-based Relation will generate large-scale datasets showing how human cells respond to genetic and drug interventions. The companies will use the data to train foundation models aimed at uncovering “new therapeutic opportunities.” This includes Relation’s own model, MORGAN, which stands for Multi-Omic Regulatory Genomics using Artificial Neural Networks. The company describes MORGAN as a foundation model designed to predict how cells respond to perturbations across different disease contexts.

The hope is that richer biological data and more accurate models will improve confidence in potential drug targets, increasing the chances of success later in development. In return, Relation could receive up to $110 million in upfront and success-based milestone payments from GSK. Details about specific disease targets were not shared.

Relation currently works across several areas, including immunology, metabolic and bone diseases. The collaboration builds on two deals that Relation struck with GSK in 2024 focused on finding and validating new drug targets for fibrotic diseases and osteoarthritis. “Deepening our understanding of the underlying biology of disease starts with richer data, to be used in models that can give us greater confidence in the discovery of therapeutic targets that can ultimately yield medicines,” Relation CEO David Roblin said in a statement.

“Through this collaboration with GSK, we will generate novel datasets from physiologically relevant human disease systems that can help reveal important biological mechanisms and support future discovery efforts.” Nvidia-backed Relation also struck a deal with Novartis in December that included $55 million in upfront cash, an equity investment and research funding. Relation is eligible for up to $1.7 billion in additional milestones under the collaboration, which is focused on discovering targets for atopic diseases. GSK Artificial Intelligence AI and Machine Learning Biotech MedTech