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
Brightfin Names Dan McNamara Chief Customer Officer16.9.2026 19:13:00 CEST | Press release
As Brightfin expands its platform and rides growing enterprise demand for IT spend control, the company taps Dan McNamara with a track record of scaling teams through rapid growth Brightfin, the leading platform for total spend intelligence in enterprise IT, today announced that Dan McNamara has joined the company as Chief Customer Officer (CCO). The appointment comes as Brightfin extends its platform into a broader vision of financial truth and operational clarity across the entire enterprise technology stack, and as more IT and finance leaders turn to Brightfin to make sense of fast-growing, fragmented spend across cloud, mobile, and emerging AI tooling. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260916064892/en/ Dan McNamara, CCO of Brightfin McNamara has built his career on meeting increasingly complex customer expectations. Twice, he has joined a customer organization in the middle of rapid growth and left it with a
Jazwares Partners With Sanrio to Expand Its Hello Kitty and Friends Range to EMEA16.9.2026 18:00:00 CEST | Press release
Plush Toys, Figures, and More Inspired by the Beloved World of Hello Kitty and Friends to Launch in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa Jazwares, one of the world’s leading toy companies, today announced a licensing agreement with Sanrio GmbH, extending Jazwares successful Hello Kitty and Friends toy line to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). The agreement will bring Sanrio’s beloved Hello Kitty and Friends characters to even more fans in the region through playful, imaginative products designed for kids and collectors. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260916913201/en/ Jazwares partners with Sanrio to expand its Hello Kitty and Friends range to EMEA Available across key EMEA markets, the collection of trendy plush and figures, playsets, vehicles, and seasonal items reimagines Hello Kitty alongside fan-favorite friends including Cinnamoroll, Kerokerokeroppi, Pompompurin, Tuxedosam, My Melody, Kuromi, Po
Schneider Electric Concludes Innovation Summit Middle East & Africa, Highlights Energy Intelligence as the Next Phase of the Energy Transition16.9.2026 15:30:00 CEST | Press release
As AI, electrification and industrial expansion reshape energy demand across the Middle East and Africa, Schneider Electric today concluded Innovation Summit Middle East & Africa by positioning energy intelligence as the next phase of the energy transition - where infrastructure becomes more connected, resilient and software-defined. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260916593883/en/ Walid Sheta, President, MEA Zone at Schneider Electric, releasing the company's 2026 Industrial AI in CPG Study for the UAE, at Schneider Electric Innovation Summit MEA (Photo: AETOSWire) Held at ADNEC in Abu Dhabi, the two-day summit convened over 2,500 attendees, including government leaders, industry analysts, customers, partners, students, and media, under the theme ‘Advancing Energy Tech to Power Intelligence and Resilience.’ Industry leaders explored how electrification, AI-ready data centers, cybersecurity, and digital innova
The Opening of Jayasom Wellness Resort Advancing AMAALA’s Wellness Vision16.9.2026 14:23:00 CEST | Press release
The latest addition to AMAALA’s wellness ecosystem integrates evidence-based practices with Arab and Eastern healing practices complemented by personalized wellness programs Red Sea Global (RSG), the regenerative tourism developer, has opened Jayasom Wellness Resort AMAALA, bringing a distinctive holistic health offering to the destination. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260916231950/en/ Outdoor relaxation area at Jayasom Wellness Resort AMAALA, where serene design and sea-facing spaces create a setting for rest and renewal. Designed by Heah & Co., with interiors by Studio Carter, Jayasom Wellness Resort AMAALA is located on Triple Bay’s largest cove and comprises 153 keys alongside 24 residences. The resort forms part of AMAALA’s secluded wellness core on the Red Sea coast, where nature and hospitality come together in a setting designed for reflection and renewal. “As we launch the first Jayasom globally, w
Rubedo Life Sciences Announces Clinical Study to Treat Hair Loss with GPX4 Modulator RLS-1496, First Human Ex Vivo Evidence Demonstrates Robust Hair Follicle Growth16.9.2026 14:01:00 CEST | Press release
AGA clinical trial to begin in Fall 2026 led by David Pariser, MD, FACP, FAAD, former President of the American Academy of Dermatology and Principal Investigator in more than 450 dermatology clinical trialsRubedo’s RLS-1496, the first and only GPX4 modulator currently in clinical trials, demonstrates superior hair follicle restoration in human ex vivo androgenetic alopecia (AGA) model, matching or outperforming finasteride; findings consistent with dual SenoAdaptive mechanism that activates dormant hair follicle Rubedo Life Sciences, Inc. (Rubedo) today announced a new clinical study of investigational RLS-1496 in patients with androgenetic alopecia (AGA), beginning October 2026, with initial data expected in the first half of 2027. The study marks the first-ever clinical evaluation of a GPX4 modulator in hair loss, extending the program that established RLS-1496 as the world’s first GPX4 modulator to enter human clinical trials of any kind. This press release features multimedia. View
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