Shares of Tempus AI (TEM +7.08%) were skyrocketing 16.5% higher as of 10:39 a.m. ET on Wednesday. The big gain came after the healthcare artificial intelligence (AI) company announced a multiyear partnership with AstraZeneca and Pathos AI to build a multimodal foundation model for cancer drug discovery and development.
Tempus AI has invested heavily over the last decade to create one of the world's largest libraries of multimodal data that can be used in developing precision medicines. The company's de-identified oncology data will be critical in building the foundation model that AstraZeneca hopes to use to accelerate its development of new cancer drugs and increase the chances of success in clinical testing for its candidates.
NASDAQ: TEM
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What this deal means for Tempus AI
Tempus AI will receive $200 million in data licensing and model development fees from AstraZeneca. This amount almost exactly matches the amount of revenue the company generated in the fourth quarter of 2024.
The healthcare AI company will also be able to use the multimodal foundation model it's building in collaboration with AstraZeneca and Pathos AI in its own efforts to improve patient care. This could bode well for Tempus AI's appeal to other big drugmakers seeking to harness the power of AI in their drug development processes.
Is Tempus AI stock a smart pick to buy now?
Risk-averse investors probably should look to other stocks to buy instead of Tempus AI. The company continues to lose money and is difficult to value. However, I think Tempus AI could be a smart pick for aggressive growth investors to buy and hold. The deal with AstraZeneca underscores the promise of its AI platform and data.
