Eli Lilly has entered a $1.3 billion agreement with Boston-based biotech Superluminal Medicines to leverage artificial intelligence in developing small-molecule drugs for obesity and other cardiometabolic diseases.

The deal gives Lilly exclusive rights to drug candidates discovered through Superluminal’s AI-driven platform targeting G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a protein class that plays a key role in metabolism, immune responses, and cell growth.

“GPCRs have established themselves as very important targets in the obesity and cardiometabolic landscape, but we’re at the very early stages of exploration of the target class,” Superluminal CEO Cony D’Cruz told Reuters.

Under the agreement, Superluminal will receive upfront and milestone payments, an equity investment, and tiered royalties on net sales.