Nexentis subsidiary partners with Boltz AI to screen drug targets

Nexentis Technologies has announced that its drug discovery subsidiary MitoCareX Bio will work with AI research lab Boltz to identify novel small-molecule candidates targeting solute carrier (SLC) transporter proteins.

The initiative combines MitoCareX's MITOLINE® algorithm platform—which generates three-dimensional structural models of transporter targets—with Boltz's foundation models for predicting biomolecular structure, binding affinity, and molecule design. The companies plan to use this integrated approach for virtual screening campaigns aimed at challenging transporter proteins.

How the collaboration works

MitoCareX will retain full control over its discovery programs and any small-molecule candidates that emerge from the work. The initial phase focuses on a selected set of SLC protein targets, with potential expansion to additional targets depending on results.

Boltz operates what it calls Boltz Lab, a hosted platform that combines biomolecular foundation models with managed compute resources and scientist-oriented workflows. The company has previously announced strategic collaborations with Pfizer and Takeda. Its BoltzMol-1 pipeline is designed to model complex structures and support in silico screening and design of small molecules for drug discovery.

MitoCareX previously used MITOLINE® to identify initial hit molecules against a selected SLC25 target. In May 2026, the company announced it had advanced that program through medicinal chemistry optimization to generate an improved hit molecule with better pharmaceutical properties.

Why it matters

SLC transporters are notoriously difficult drug targets because of their structural complexity and the challenge of modeling their conformational states. Combining experimentally informed structural modeling with generative AI could help identify starting points that traditional screening methods miss. For a small-cap biotech like Nexentis (market cap approximately $5.3 million as of the announcement date), partnering with an AI lab offers access to compute-intensive capabilities without the capital expense of building them in-house. The approach also reflects a broader industry trend: pairing domain-specific biological insight with general-purpose foundation models to improve hit rates in early discovery.

MitoCareX is focused on developing therapies for hard-to-treat cancers and inflammatory metabolic diseases by targeting the mitochondrial SLC25 protein family.

Nexentis Technologies also invests in European solar energy assets under a ready-to-build business model and is currently the lead investor in four solar projects across three EU countries.

The details were first reported by Nexentis Technologies in a June 22, 2026 press release.