Castres, France; Shenzhen, China, 6 November 2026 – Laboratoires Pierre Fabre and XtalPi (XtalPi Holdings Limited, 2228.HK) are pleased to announce an agreement under which they will collaborate on the discovery of novel clinical candidates across a number of research programs in the field of oncology, potentially dermatology, and rare diseases.
Under the agreement, XtalPi will use its integrated AI capabilities and robotics platform to de novo design and deliver novel small molecule therapeutics against undisclosed targets. Laboratoires Pierre Fabre will contribute with its expertise in disease biology, discovery, translational research, and clinical development to select and advance the most promising compounds, and will be responsible for subsequent clinical and commercial development.
The collaboration reflects the parties’ shared interest in exploring challenging and historically hard-to-drug targets—an area associated with significant unmet medical need and substantial opportunity in innovative drug discovery.
For Laboratoires Pierre Fabre, this agreement represents a strategic addition to its R&D roadmap, strengthening its drug discovery capabilities. It also advances XtalPi’s efforts to apply AI and robotics to de novo drug discovery. Together, the companies aim to accelerate the identification of high-quality clinical candidates across multiple research programs in oncology and potentially other therapeutic areas.
Raymond Zheng, Head of Integrated Drug Discovery at XtalPi said: “We are honored to enter into this collaboration with Laboratoires Pierre Fabre, a respected international pharmaceutical company. This partnership combines XtalPi’s AI and robotics capabilities with Laboratoires Pierre Fabre’s established therapeutic development expertise. We aim to advance promising preclinical candidates to benefit patients with unmet medical needs.”
Francesco Hofmann, Head of Pharma Research and Development at Laboratoires Pierre Fabre said: “Partnering with XtalPi represents an important milestone for us. Leveraging the expertise of XtalPi on AI to accelerate the delivery of high-quality clinical candidates for multiple targets is a critical addition to our R&D Data and AI roadmap and to our discovery engine”.
The agreement includes an upfront payment, multiple milestone payments and downstream economic participation; specific financial terms were not disclosed.
About XtalPi
XtalPi Holdings Limited (XtalPi, 2228.HK) was founded in 2015 by three physicists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It is an innovative R&D platform powered by quantum physics, artificial intelligence, and robotics. By integrating first-principles calculations, AI algorithms, high-performance cloud computing, and standardized automation systems, XtalPi provides digital and intelligent R&D solutions for companies in the pharmaceutical, materials science, agricultural technology, energy, new chemicals, and cosmetics industries.
About Laboratoires Pierre Fabre
Laboratoires Pierre Fabre is one of Europe’s leading pharmaceutical laboratories and the world’s second-largest dermo-cosmetics company. Its Pharma activity covers 5 main therapeutic fields: oncology, dermatology, rare diseases, primary care and family health care. The Dermo-cosmetics & Personal Care portfolio includes international brands such as Eau Thermale Avène, Dexeryl, Ducray, Klorane, A-Derma, René Furterer, Même Cosmetics, Darrow and Elgydium.
For over 40 years, Laboratoires Pierre Fabre has established itself as an international player in oncology, mastering the entire value chain from R&D to marketing. Its portfolio of oncology specialties covers colorectal, breast, lung and skin cancers, as well as certain hematologic malignancies and precancerous dermatological conditions such as actinic keratosis. In 2025, Laboratoires Pierre Fabre’s revenues in oncology came to 565 million euros, 71% of which were generated by international sales, out of a total sales figure of 3.2 billion euros.
Based in southwest France since its creation, Laboratoires Pierre Fabre manufactures nearly 90% of its products in France and employs 10,000 people worldwide. In 2025, its R&D budget amounted to 250 million euros, of which 67% is allocated to targeted therapies in oncology with 10 research and development programs underway.
Laboratoires Pierre Fabre’s majority shareholder (86%) is an eponymous humanitarian Foundation. Employees constitute the company’s other shareholder. This capital structure guarantees the company’s independence, long-term vision and contribution to the common good. The dividends paid to the Pierre Fabre Foundation contribute to 43 healthcare-access programs deployed in 26 of the least developed countries in the world.
Laboratoires Pierre Fabre’s CSR policy has been assessed by AFNOR Certification and has been awarded the “Exemplary” level of its CSR label (ISO 26 000 standard for sustainable development).
For more information, visit www.pierre-fabre.com, @Laboratoires Pierre Fabre, @Pierre Fabre Oncology
