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Isomorphic inks deals with Eli Lilly and Novartis for drug discovery | TechCrunch

Jan 07, 2024 - techcrunch.com
Isomorphic Labs, a spin-out of Google AI R&D division DeepMind, has entered into strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical companies Eli Lilly and Novartis. The deals, worth around $3 billion, will see Isomorphic apply AI to discover new medications for diseases. The company will receive $45 million upfront from Eli Lilly and potentially up to $1.7 billion based on performance milestones, while Novartis will pay $37.5 million upfront, fund select research costs, and provide up to $1.2 billion in performance-based incentives.

Isomorphic, launched in 2021, uses DeepMind’s AlphaFold 2 AI technology to predict the structure of proteins in the human body, aiding in drug discovery. Despite some limitations, the technology has been used to design a potential drug for liver cancer and is being applied to therapeutics for Chagas disease and Leishmaniasis. The company is under pressure to generate profit after recording a £2.4 million loss in 2021.

Key takeaways:

  • Isomorphic Labs, a spin-out of Google AI R&D division DeepMind, has entered into strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical giants Eli Lilly and Novartis, with a combined value of around $3 billion.
  • The partnerships aim to apply AI to discover new medications to treat diseases, leveraging Isomorphic's proprietary technology platform and DeepMind’s AlphaFold 2 AI technology.
  • AlphaFold 2 AI technology can predict the structure of proteins in the human body, aiding in the identification of new target pathways for drug delivery.
  • Despite recording a loss in 2021, Isomorphic is ramping up its operations, including opening a second office in Switzerland, and is under pressure to start generating a profit.
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