Insilico Medicine Ushers in a New Era of AI-Led Drug Design

Since it first emerged in the form of hyper-realistic digital images, generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology has become increasingly more sophisticated. We’re now seeing the emergence of AI programs that can turn text prompts into stunning artworks, as well as AI-generated apps, stories, podcasts, music videos, and even films.

That same AI technology has been undergoing a similar acceleration in the world of drug discovery and design where the implications for its use are far greater.

Insilico Medicine is one biotech company in the race to bring AI-discovered and AI-designed drugs to patients, going after diseases with high unmet need whose treatment has eluded scientists. The company’s Pharma.AI platform relies on a generative AI algorithm that scans trillions of data points including omics data, research studies, grants, patents, and publications, to uncover new targets for disease. Once a new target has been identified, the same AI platform uses generative AI to comb through millions of compounds and molecular fragments to generate entirely new drug-like molecules. These molecules are optimized to have the very characteristics needed to succeed in patients, including: novelty, potency, metabolic stability, druggability, and safety.

The company’s lead AI-discovered and AI-designed drug for the devastating lung disease known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is currently the first such drug in Phase 1 trials, and there are 30 other drugs in its pipeline.

Insilico first proved the concept of an AI drug discovery engine back in 2016 – screening 72 million compounds and identifying candidate molecules with anti-cancer properties in a paper published in Oncotarget. The Pharma.AI platform has grown increasingly more sophisticated since. Like all AI programs, the more it is used, the more it learns, and the stronger its capabilities.

The platform has attracted the interest of numerous pharmaceutical companies looking to accelerate their programs. And it’s no surprise – AI drastically speeds up the process of drug discovery – from up to 6 years to reach Phase 1 trials, to under three years, and for a fraction of the cost.

On Nov. 8, Insilico announced the largest partnership deal in its history–a strategic research collaboration with Sanofi worth up to $1.2B. The multiyear, multi-target strategic research collaboration leverages Insilico’s Pharma.AI to advance drug development candidates for up to six new targets. Sanofi will pay Insilico Medicine up to $21.5 million to benefit from Pharma.AI and access a team of interdisciplinary drug discovery scientists to identify, synthesize and advance high-quality lead therapeutic compounds up to development candidate stage.

It’s the latest validation of a platform that’s on the forefront of a new era of AI-led drug discovery and design.

Now, the company is ready to tell all. On Nov. 14, 9am ET Insilico will unveil the latest Pharma.AI updates in a Virtual Launch Event that will feature updates from the Metaverse and experts from around the globe providing a tour of Insilico’s drug discovery platform. Special guests include Jensen Huang, Co-founder, President and CEO of NVIDIA who has been a partner at every step in Insilico’s journey. REGISTER HERE.