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
Andersen Consulting styrker sit udbud inden for digital transformation med Aesys2.3.2026 04:19:00 CET | Pressemeddelelse
Andersen Consulting annoncerer en samarbejdsaftale med den italienske virksomhed Aesys og udbygger dermed sine kompetencer inden for teknologi og systemintegration. Aesys blev stiftet i 2013 og er en virksomhed inden for digital teknologi og systemintegration, der leverer komplette it-løsninger. De kombinerer ekspertise inden for softwareudvikling, cloud computing, machine learning og cybersikkerhed med en stærk historik inden for systemintegration til bank- og bilindustrien og hjælper organisationer med at accelerere deres digitale transformation og forstærke deres teknologiske infrastruktur. "Med dette samarbejde kan vi skabe endnu større værdi for kunderne ved at kombinere vores dybe ekspertise inden for systemintegration med Andersen Consultings globale platform," udtaler Samuel Roberto, international business manager hos Aesys. "Sammen vil vi hjælpe organisationer med at styrke deres teknologiske fundament, implementere innovative løsninger inden for områder som machine learning o
GIGABYTE Powers Telecom AI Transformation with End-to-End Infrastructure at MWC 20262.3.2026 02:00:00 CET | Press release
From AI factories and supercomputing to digital twins, cloud hosting, and edge AI, GIGABYTE enables telecommunications operators to turn network data into intelligence, automation, and new revenue streams. GIGABYTE Technology, a global leader known for its engineering excellence in high-performance computing and AI servers, extends its comprehensive end-to-end AI infrastructure portfolio designed specifically for the telecommunications industry at MWC 2026. GIGABYTE’s end-to-end product solutions enable operators to convert massive volumes of network data into intelligence, automation, and new revenue streams, as telecommunications networks evolve from data carriers into AI-powered digital platforms. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260223386188/en/ GIGABYTE Powers Telecom AI Transformation with End-to-End Infrastructure at MWC 2026 From Network Data to AI Value: Building Telco’s AI Factory At the core of the t
Lenovo Unveils Adaptive AI PCs, Modular Concepts, and Lenovo Qira Rollout at MWC 20262.3.2026 00:01:00 CET | Press release
From modular business computing and glasses-free 3D to foldable gaming and system-level AI, Lenovo advances Smarter AI for All At MWC® 2026, Lenovo™ introduces a new generation of adaptive AI devices and forward-looking concepts designed for business professionals, creators, students, and gamers. Headlined by new modular PC architecture, a glasses-free 3D laptop concept, a foldable gaming handheld device, and the initial rollout of Lenovo Qira, Lenovo’s showcase reflects a broader shift in personal computing toward systems that adapt intelligently to people and their environments. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260301217460/en/ Across its portfolio, Lenovo continues to focus on delivering technology that is more personalized, proactive, and protected, while building a unified AI ecosystem that works naturally across devices. “The AI era will not be defined by a single device or application, but by intelligent
TVCMALL at MWC 2026: Leading Mobile Accessories Wholesale and Smarter Sourcing1.3.2026 07:00:00 CET | Press release
As MWC Barcelona 2026 highlights the growing role of AI, connectivity, and smarter technology systems, the mobile accessories market is entering a new phase defined by speed and complexity. Product categories continue to expand, designs and styles update faster, and retailers are expected to respond to market changes in shorter cycles. Keeping product lines up to date while managing sourcing efficiently has become a real challenge for retailers and distributors across Europe. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260121405485/en/ TVCMALL at MWC 2026: Leading Mobile Accessories Wholesale and Smarter Sourcing At MWC Barcelona 2026, TVCMALL highlights its role as a leading one-stop mobile accessories wholesaler in Europe, with a clear focus on making wholesale and sourcing easier, faster, and more reliable. With more than 18 years of experience, TVCMALL works closely with 30+ leading retail partners across Europe, supp
Biocytogen Announces Clinical Milestone with First Patient Dosed in Phase 1 Trial of IDEAYA’s First-in-Class B7H3/PTK7 Bispecific TOP1 ADC IDE03428.2.2026 01:00:00 CET | Press release
IDE034 is a B7H3/PTK7 bispecific TOP1 ADC designed to target tumor cells expressing both B7H3 and PTK7 preferentially, and is being evaluated as monotherapy and in combination with IDEAYA’s PARG inhibitor IDE161. IDEAYA has dosed the first patient in its Phase 1 trial of IDE034, initially evaluating safety, tolerability, and PK. First dosing triggers a $5 million milestone payment to Biocytogen under the companies’ option and license agreement. Biocytogen Pharmaceuticals (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (Biocytogen, SSE: 688796; HKEX: 02315), a global biotechnology company that drives the research and development of novel antibody-based drugs with innovative technologies, today announced that its partner IDEAYA Biosciences, Inc. (“IDEAYA”; Nasdaq: IDYA) has dosed the first patient in IDEAYA’s Phase 1 dose-escalation/expansion clinical trial of IDE034, an investigational B7H3/PTK7 bispecific TOP1 ADC. Pursuant to the companies’ option and license agreement, first patient dosing triggers a $5 million
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