Artificial intelligence drug discovery pioneer Exscientia has appointed former AstraZeneca veteran Dr. Garry Pairaudeau as its new Chief Technology Officer, marking a significant step in strengthening its leadership team. Pairaudeau brings 25 years of experience from AstraZeneca, where he most recently served as head of hit discovery.
Reporting directly to Exscientia CEO Professor Andrew Hopkins, Pairaudeau will spearhead efforts to establish Exscientia as "the most efficient drug discovery organisation in the world." His extensive expertise spans high-throughput screening, virtual screening, computational chemistry, machine learning, and DNA-encoded libraries.
Strategic Timing for AI Drug Discovery
The appointment comes at a pivotal moment for Exscientia, which recently achieved a historic milestone by initiating clinical trials for the world's first AI-designed drug molecule - a potential treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), developed in partnership with Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma. The company's AI-driven approach claims to reduce preclinical candidate discovery time by up to 75%.
Building on this momentum, Exscientia secured $60 million in third-round financing led by Novo Holdings in May, earmarked for expanding its drug development pipeline. This expansion aligns with the broader industry trend, as the global AI healthcare market is projected to grow exponentially from $2.1 billion in 2018 to $36 billion by 2025, at a compound annual growth rate of 50.2%.
Distinguished Track Record
Pairaudeau's credentials include sharing the prestigious Malcolm Campbell award from the Royal Society of Chemistry for his role in discovering Brilinta (ticagrelor), AstraZeneca's blockbuster antiplatelet medication. At AstraZeneca, he also chaired the Global Chemistry Leaders Network, driving strategic initiatives and collaborations while championing developments in AI, machine learning, physics-based computation, and automation.
"Garry has forged a long-standing impressive career that has combined real-life drug hunting with cutting edge computational and AI techniques as well as robotics," said CEO Andrew Hopkins. He highlighted Pairaudeau's rare combination of "deep understanding of the problems of drug discovery and a drive to lead the development of new AI and automation approaches to solve those problems."
Industry Context and Impact
The strategic appointment reflects the pharmaceutical industry's growing focus on AI and machine learning to address declining R&D returns and boost productivity. As traditional drug discovery methods face efficiency challenges, companies like Exscientia are pioneering AI-driven approaches to accelerate the development of new therapeutics while reducing costs.
