Wedoany.com Report on Feb 3rd, Insilico Medicine, a generative artificial intelligence-driven clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, announced today that its MEN2501 project, licensed out to the Menarini Group, has completed the first patient dosing in a Phase I clinical trial. Insilico Medicine has accordingly received a milestone payment of HKD 39 million from Menarini. MEN2501 is a highly differentiated small molecule inhibitor targeting the kinesin KIF18A. Preclinical data has shown significant inhibitory activity against chromosomally unstable cancers.

Previously, Insilico Medicine licensed the MEN2501 project to Stemline Therapeutics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Menarini Group, for a total collaboration value of up to USD 550 million. In July 2025, following the project's receipt of an IND clearance, Insilico Medicine received the first development and regulatory milestone payment exceeding HKD 23.4 million.

Dr. Alex Zhavoronkov, Founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine, stated: "The rapid advancement of the MEN2501 project into Phase I clinical trials and the completion of the first patient dosing demonstrates the efficient project execution and clinical translation capabilities of Menarini and Stemline. It also underscores the commitment and efforts of both parties to provide innovative therapies for cancer treatment." Elcin Barker Ergun, CEO of the Menarini Group, said: "Completing the first patient dosing is a significant milestone. The collaboration with Insilico Medicine holds promise for delivering innovative solutions to patients with aggressive cancers."

In addition to the MEN2501 project, Insilico Medicine and Menarini had previously entered into a global exclusive licensing agreement for the novel KAT6 inhibitor MEN2312, which has already advanced to the clinical development stage. Insilico Medicine has extensive experience in AI-driven oncology drug discovery and development and has established a robust oncology pipeline focused on multiple cancer types.