Insilico Medicine is a biotechnology company that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the drug discovery and development process. By integrating AI with biological data analysis, the company aims to identify novel therapeutic targets and design effective drug candidates, with a particular focus on aging and age-related diseases.
Their mission statement is as follows:
Our mission is to extend healthy productive longevity by transforming drug discovery and development with generative artificial intelligence, significantly reducing the time and cost to bring life-saving medications to patients
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The Solution
Insilico Medicine employs its AI-driven platform, Pharma.AI, to streamline the drug discovery and development process. This platform integrates several key components:
- PandaOmics:
An AI-enabled biological target discovery tool that analyzes extensive datasets to identify potential therapeutic targets associated with various diseases and the aging process. - Chemistry42:
A generative chemistry platform that uses AI to design novel molecular structures with desired properties, expediting the drug discovery process.
Through these platforms, Insilico has developed a pipeline of drug candidates targeting a range of diseases:
- Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF):
Insilico’s AI-designed drug candidate for IPF, ISM001-055, progressed to Phase I clinical trials in under 30 months. This small molecule inhibitor targets a novel pathway implicated in fibrosis, demonstrating the potential of AI in accelerating drug development. - Oncology:
The company is developing several cancer therapeutics, including:- USP1 Inhibitor:
Aimed at treating BRCA-mutant cancers by inhibiting the ubiquitin-specific protease 1 enzyme. - ENPP1 Inhibitor (ISM5939):
A potential best-in-class oral small molecule inhibitor targeting ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1) for the treatment of solid tumors. This program has received Investigational New Drug (IND) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
- USP1 Inhibitor:
- Fibrotic Diseases:
Beyond IPF, Insilico is exploring treatments for other fibrotic conditions, utilizing AI to identify novel targets and design effective inhibitors.
The Company
Insilico Medicine was founded in 2014 by Alex Zhavoronkov, and is headquartered in Boston, MA, USA, with multiple sites in the USA and Asia.
Cumulatively, the company has raised over $400 million with the most noteworthy being the following:
- Series C Financing (June 2021):
The company raised $255 million in a Series C funding round led by Warburg Pincus, Sequoia Capital, and other investors. - Series D Financing (June 2022): Insilico secured an additional $60 million in Series D funding to further develop its pipeline and launch an AI-powered drug discovery robotics laboratory.
The company has established some key partnerships with the most highlighted being:
- Fosun Pharma (January 2022):
A multi-asset partnership to co-develop drugs using Insilico’s AI platforms. - EQRx (March 2022):
A collaboration to jointly advance AI-driven drug discovery, development, and commercialization for multiple targets.
Additionally, more than 40 pharmaceutical companies utilize Insilico’s technology to advance their programs, with several advancing AI-designed drugs developed by Insilico. Academic researchers have also partnered with the company to accelerate new treatments for diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, and “undruggable” cancer targets.
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