Tempus, AstraZeneca, and Pathos Partner to Build Oncology Foundation Model Using Multimodal Data
Tempus has announced new multi-year agreements with AstraZeneca and Pathos AI to co-develop what is described as the largest multimodal foundation model in oncology.
The model will be trained on Tempus’ de-identified oncology datasets and is intended to support research across biological insight generation, target discovery, and therapeutic development. All three partners will have access to the resulting model for use in their respective R&D efforts. The deal includes $200 million in combined fees for data licensing and model development.
This builds on an existing partnership between Tempus and AstraZeneca dating back to 2021. The new phase reportedly aims to scale Tempus’ AI infrastructure and dataset repository to support broader therapeutic applications. According to Tempus CEO Eric Lefkofsky, the company’s long-term investment in data collection has laid the groundwork for applying generative AI in precision oncology at scale:
“Tempus has spent the last decade investing billions of dollars into collecting the necessary data needed for a foundation model of this kind to take shape..."
From AstraZeneca’s side, the collaboration is a part of its ongoing effort to integrate AI into its oncology R&D pipeline. Jorge Reis-Filho, Chief AI and Data Scientist for Oncology R&D at the company, framed the work as a way to improve the efficiency and success rate of drug development through large-scale data analysis.
Pathos is also contributing to the effort. The company, which recently began clinical testing of its CBP/p300 inhibitor pocenbrodib in metastatic prostate cancer, has been focused on integrating AI into trial design and patient selection. Pathos echoed a now-familiar view that foundation models, once considered speculative in biomedicine, are becoming technically viable.
The model is not yet built, and specifics on architecture, modality integration, or planned release timelines are yet to be disclosed.
Topics: AI & Digital
