GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has entered into a groundbreaking partnership with artificial intelligence company Exscientia, marking a significant step toward revolutionizing the drug discovery process. The collaboration, valued at up to £33 million in milestone payments, aims to accelerate the identification of novel and selective small molecules across multiple therapeutic areas.
AI-Powered Drug Discovery Platform
Exscientia's proprietary AI platform stands at the forefront of computer-assisted drug discovery, employing a rapid 'design-make-test' cycle that actively learns from experimental results. The system utilizes extensive 'Big Data' resources, including medicinal chemistry and large-scale bio-assays, combined with AI-driven algorithms to design molecules meeting specific lead and candidate criteria.
"Applying our approach to client discovery projects has already delivered candidate-quality molecules in roughly one-quarter of the time, and at one-quarter of the cost of traditional approaches," stated Andrew Hopkins, CEO of Exscientia. The platform's efficiency stems from its ability to balance potency, selectivity, and pharmacokinetic criteria while minimizing the number of compounds requiring synthesis and assay.
Strategic Partnership Details
The collaboration encompasses up to 10 disease-related targets nominated by GSK across multiple therapeutic areas. John Baldoni, Senior Vice President of Platform Science and Technology at GSK, expressed confidence in the partnership: "Exscientia has built an excellent team with proven innovation in drug discovery technologies. We anticipate their industry-leading approach will accelerate the discovery of new molecules against high value GSK targets with speed and confidence."
Industry Experience and Leadership
Exscientia brings substantial expertise to the partnership through its leadership team. CEO Andrew Hopkins, previously at Pfizer for 10 years, has raised $50 million for academic and commercial research activities and holds the Chair of Medicinal Informatics at the University of Dundee. The company claims to be the first to automate drug design successfully, with capabilities extending to designing dual pharmacology compounds and complex target product profiles.
Growing AI Drug Discovery Landscape
The GSK-Exscientia partnership joins a growing trend of AI-driven drug discovery initiatives. Exscientia has already secured significant partnerships with other pharmaceutical giants, including a €250 million deal with Sanofi and collaborations with Evotec, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals.
The field continues to expand with other notable players such as San Francisco-based Atomwise, which maintains 27 discovery projects with partners including Merck and Harvard, spanning research areas from Ebola to multiple sclerosis and leukemia.
