Exscientia, a UK-based company specializing in artificial intelligence (AI) driven drug discovery, has announced the advancement of DSP-0038, an AI-designed drug candidate for Alzheimer's disease psychosis, into Phase 1 clinical trials. Developed in collaboration with Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma (DSP), the trial will assess the drug's safety and efficacy in treating psychosis and improving behavioral symptoms associated with dementia in Alzheimer's patients.
Targeting Alzheimer's Psychosis with AI Precision
DSP-0038 is designed to act as both a serotonin 5-HT2A receptor antagonist and a 5-HT1A receptor agonist. This dual-targeting approach aims to provide antipsychotic effects while minimizing the stimulation of dopamine D2 receptors, which can lead to undesirable side effects often seen with traditional antipsychotics. According to the companies, psychotic symptoms, including delusions and hallucinations, affect approximately half of individuals with Alzheimer's disease.
Exscientia's Centaur Chemist platform significantly accelerates the drug discovery process. The AI platform narrows the search for suitable molecules, reducing the number of compounds that need to be synthesized and tested. Exscientia claims that its AI platform can compress the time from concept to clinical trials to a matter of months, compared to the years typically required with conventional drug discovery methods. In the case of an earlier AI-designed drug, DSP-1181 for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the entire project took only 12 months, identifying the candidate compound from just 350 synthesized compounds, a significant reduction from the typical 2,500.
Exscientia's Growing AI Pipeline
DSP-0038 represents the third AI-derived compound from Exscientia to enter clinical trials. In January 2020, DSP initiated a study of DSP-1181, a drug for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which was touted as the first AI-designed drug to enter the clinic. More recently, Exscientia and Evotec began human trials of EXS-21546, a cancer immunotherapy targeting advanced solid tumors.
Andrew Hopkins, CEO of Exscientia, stated, "This is further validation that our AI platform can turn complex biological challenges into high-quality clinical candidates quickly. We hope that through the creation of DSP-0038 improved treatments for Alzheimer's disease psychosis will be realized."
Industry Perspectives on AI in Pharma
A recent survey of 300 senior pharmaceutical executives in the US and Europe revealed that 50% believe AI can accelerate drug development and bring new drugs to market more rapidly. However, nearly as many (49%) reported that their company lacks an overarching AI strategy. The survey also highlighted challenges in leveraging advanced technologies to derive value from data, with only 13% claiming a strong digital culture within their organization. These findings suggest that while the potential of AI in pharma is widely recognized, many companies are still navigating the challenges of implementation and integration.
