EXSCIENTIA
8.7.2021 10:02:52 CEST | Business Wire | Press release
Exscientia has received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Gates Philanthropy Partners, as part of the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator. This is to expedite the optimisation of a new class of COVID-19 therapeutics created using its artificial intelligence (AI) drug design platform. Exscientia has demonstrated proof-of-concept by using its AI platform to design a novel class of inhibitors targeting the SARS-CoV-2’s main protease enzyme, Mpro , also known as 3CLpro , the causative agent of COVID-19. Mpro is essential for the replication of coronavirus, so administering an Mpro inhibitor to patients as a standalone antiviral or alongside other concurrent treatments could provide a useful frontline therapy.
Exscientia’s AI-based platform will be used to optimise the novel small molecule inhibitors into a therapeutic development candidate, designed to be active against SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses. The project’s goal is to identify potential pan-coronavirus therapeutics that could be effective against COVID-19, and also new mutations or other SARS viruses that may emerge.
The new grant provided by the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator - an initiative launched by the Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and Mastercard to speed up the response to the pandemic - comes in addition to recent backing from the Gates Foundation supporting Exscientia’s work in developing treatments for tuberculosis, malaria and non-hormonal contraceptives which began in January 2021. Under the new grant, Exscientia will receive $1.5 million which will be used to advance a development candidate on achieving defined milestones. The virus protease inhibitors will be designed using Exscientia’s AI-driven drug discovery platform, which delivers optimised compounds, fulfilling complex design goals faster and more effectively than with conventional drug discovery methods.
Dr. Denise Barrault, Senior Portfolio Manager at Exscientia, commented, “The danger of new emerging strains and mutations of coronavirus means there is an urgent need for new antiviral drugs in this pandemic alongside vaccines, to respond more quickly in potential future coronavirus pandemics. We believe that the world needs innovation to accelerate the discovery of more effective counter-measures for a range of infectious diseases, including COVID-19.”
Exscientia has built a track record of improving and accelerating drug discovery by advancing the first three completely AI-designed small molecule drug candidates into clinical trials. In addition to its own proprietary programmes, Exscientia has entered into collaborations with major pharmaceutical companies including Bristol Myers Squibb, Bayer, Sanofi and Dainippon Sumitomo, as well as multiple biotech companies. The company currently has more than 20 partners or wholly owned programmes for diseases involving cancer, immunology, the central nervous system, and genetic mutations.
ENDS
About Exscientia
Exscientia is an AI-driven pharmatech company committed to discovering and designing the best possible medicines in the fastest and most effective manner. Exscientia is the first company to progress AI-designed small molecules into the clinical setting and repeatedly demonstrate the ability of AI to transform how drugs are created. Exscientia’s AI platform has now designed three drugs that are in Phase 1 human clinical trials.
Drug design is precision engineering at the molecular scale. Exscientia has built dedicated AI systems that efficiently learn from the widest range of data and consistently reapply enhanced knowledge through iterations of design. Because Exscientia’s AI platform learns more effectively and rapidly than human-led efforts alone, candidate molecules satisfying complex therapeutic requirements are created with revolutionary efficiency. Exscientia believes that designing better drugs, faster, will allow the best ideas of science to rapidly become the best medicines for patients.
Exscientia has offices in Oxford, Miami, Osaka and Dundee. For more information visit us on www.exscientia.ai or follow us on Twitter @exscientiaAI.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210708005344/en/
Link:
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
70% of Enterprise AI is Uncontrolled, Driving Hidden Risk, Cost and Slower ROI27.4.2026 10:00:00 CEST | Press release
Lenovo research highlights a growing AI execution gap as organizations struggle to control and operate AI across their environments AI is already being used across your organization, whether it has been formally approved or not. Employees are using AI with or without IT involvement, fueling the rise of ‘shadow AI’ across the enterprise, creating gaps in governance and control. This is no longer just an IT challenge. For Chief Information Security Officers, this shift is expanding the attack surface across devices, endpoints, and data flows, introducing unmanaged risk and increasing the likelihood of sensitive company data being exposed or accessed without proper controls. What this reveals is a growing AI execution gap: usage is accelerating, but control is not keeping pace. Based on a survey of 6,000 employees worldwide, Lenovo’s latest Work Reborn Report, Leading Your Workforce to Triumph with AI, finds that more than 70% of employees are using AI weekly, with up to one third operati
First Enterprise Quantum Computer Purchase in Japan: IQM to Deploy System to TOYO Corporation27.4.2026 08:00:00 CEST | Press release
First enterprise quantum computer purchase in Japan cements IQM's position as the global leader in deployed quantum computers The Radiance 20-qubit system will enable TOYO to explore various industry use cases, while advancing a hybrid quantum-HPC infrastructure. This will be the third quantum computer to be deployed by IQM in the Asia-Pacific region. IQM Quantum Computers, the global leader in superconducting quantum computers, today announced the purchase of its full-stack 20-qubit quantum computer by TOYO Corporation, marking the first enterprise quantum system deployment in Japan. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260426053944/en/ (From Left): Toshiya Kohno, Representative Director, President and CEO of TOYO Corporation, and Jan Goetz, CEO & Co-founder of IQM Quantum Computers. The Radiance 20-qubit system will be made available in both on-premises and cloud environments and will be delivered by the end of 2
SAP and S3NS Accelerate Trusted Cloud Adoption in France With Thales as First Strategic Customer27.4.2026 08:00:00 CEST | Press release
Thales adopts SAP RISE private cloud edition on S3NS to transform its ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) landscape and operationalize digital sovereignty at scale. By combining SAP’s enterprise applications and Business AI capabilities with S3NS’s trusted infrastructure, this partnership unlocks cloud adoption for highly regulated sectors, including public administration, aerospace and defense, and operators of vital and essential services. Thales (Euronext Paris: HO): This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260426644177/en/ Strategic partnership (c)S3NS A decisive step in scaling trusted cloud in Europe The strategic partnership between SAP and S3NS, the trusted cloud provider established by Thales and Google Cloud, will strengthen trusted cloud capabilities in France and support Europe’s growing demand for cloud business transformation. SAP RISE private cloud edition will be deployed by SAP Sovereign Cloud on S3NS’
Murata Launches Ultra-Low Power AMR Sensors to Boost Battery Life in Healthcare and Wearables Devices27.4.2026 04:00:00 CEST | Press release
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TOKYO: 6981) (ISIN: JP3914400001) has commenced mass production of its MRMS166R and MRMS168R anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) sensors for healthcare, wearable, and IoT devices. The MRMS166R is the first AMR sensor to combine an average current consumption of 20 nA with operation from a 1.2 V supply, enabling extended battery life in coin cell-powered systems. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260413296947/en/ [Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.] AMR sensor The devices are solid-state magnetic sensors used for switching applications. They detect the presence or absence of a magnetic field and generate an output signal that system logic uses to control functions such as transitions between active and sleep modes. This enables contactless switching without mechanical components, improving reliability, and supporting sealed, miniaturized designs. Automatic switching between active and
Sun Pharma signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Organon27.4.2026 01:51:00 CEST | Press release
Organon stockholders to receive US$ 14.00 per share in cashThe deal values Organon at EV of US$ 11.75 billionCombined Business leverages complementary portfolios and global scale for sustained long‑term value creation Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited(Reuters: SUN.BO, Bloomberg: SUNP IN, NSE: SUNPHARMA, BSE: 524715) (together with its subsidiaries and/or associated companies, “Sun Pharma”) and Organon & Co. (NYSE: OGN) (“Organon”) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Sun Pharma will acquire all outstanding shares of Organon for US$ 14.00 per share in an all‑cash transaction with an enterprise valuation of US$ 11.75 billion. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260426881370/en/ Organon is a global healthcare company formed through a spinoff from Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, in 2021. Organon has a legacy of deep trust and strong brand equit
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom