Exscientia is a pharmatech company committed to drug discovery using artificial intelligence. Founded in 2021 and based in Oxford, United Kingdom, it combines human expertise with AI algorithms to discover, design, and develop novel drugs in a shorter period of time.
How Does Exscientia Use AI?
Exscientia employs AI to design drug molecules quickly. AI allows for testing fewer compounds by ensuring that all necessary properties for a successful drug are included from the start, thus speeding up the entire process and making drug discovery faster and more efficient. This technique reduces the time it takes to go from the start of a project to a candidate molecule to less than a year.
Their AI systems excel at identifying promising drug candidates from a vast number of possibilities. They learn faster than traditional methods, allowing drugs to reach clinical trials quicker. The AI algorithm itself invents the molecules, which means Exscientia can go from data to creating intellectual property using an algorithm in the shortest period of time. This automation has enabled Exscientia to have the first AI-designed molecules to reach clinical trials.
Patient-First AI
Exscientia’s ‘Patient-first AI’ approach uses patient tissue data to define optimal profiles for research, improve experimental assessment during design, and enhance outcomes in a medical setting.
Components of Patient-First AI
Exscientia’s ‘Patient-first AI’ approach in drug discovery involves four components: Precision-Target, Design, Experiment, and Medicine.
Precision Target
It focuses on selecting the right targets for the right disease and designing the right drugs for the right patients. It combines genetic data and global literature in machine-learning models to anticipate and confirm disease-target associations. Their experimental platform records responses in real patient samples, allowing them to generate precise views of potential patient responses to the therapy.
Precision Design
It utilizes AI to undertake the design process, enhancing efficiency and enabling the creation of new solutions using Generative Design and Active Learning.
Precision Experiment
It features over 47,000 square feet of laboratory space that houses highly sensitive Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) and X-ray crystallography equipment. Their laboratories are co-located with AI Drug Design teams to foster strong collaboration.
Precision Medicine
It involves testing directly on viable human tissue and analyzing data at the single-cell level. In the landmark EXALT-1 clinical study, their platform demonstrated that functional precision-oncology can improve patient outcomes in a prospective interventional trial.
Drugs Discovered by Exscientia
Exscientia has discovered four drugs using its AI technology, two of which are in clinical trial phases:
CDK7 Inhibitor GTAEXS617
It is a novel CDK7 inhibitor designed to disrupt cell cycles and inhibit transcription, making it an attractive target for overcoming resistance pathways in CDK4/6 inhibition. The drug is currently in Phase 1/2 for advanced solid tumors.
EXS4318 (PKC-theta)
It is the first immunology and inflammation candidate designed by Exscientia. It is a potentially first-in-class, potent, and selective PKC theta inhibitor, currently in Phase 1 for inflammatory diseases.
EXS74539 (LSD1)
It is a novel, potent, selective, and reversible LSD1 inhibitor under preclinical investigation for oncology and hematology indications, including acute myeloid leukemia and small cell lung cancer. It is currently in the IND-Enabling stage.
EXS73565 (MALT1)
It is a potent and selective allosteric MALT1 inhibitor with a differentiated profile, exhibiting low drug-drug interaction and hyperbilirubinemia risk. It is currently in the IND-Enabling stage for hematology.
Collaborations
Exscientia has established collaborations with major pharmaceutical companies and organizations to leverage their AI-driven drug discovery platform:
Bristol Myers Squibb
Exscientia has expanded its collaboration to accelerate the discovery of small molecule therapeutic drug candidates in areas including oncology and immunology.
Sanofi
The research collaboration aims to develop up to 15 novel small molecule candidates across oncology and immunology.
Gates Foundation
Demonstrates Exscientia’s role as a collaborator of choice for high-value AI-driven drug discovery.
Other Collaborations
Include Bayer, Dainippon Sumitomo, and emerging biotech companies, further expanding its reach in drug discovery.
Recent Updates and News
Exscientia’s pipeline is progressing steadily with ongoing clinical trials and expansions in collaborations, notably with Sanofi. They anticipate initiating new clinical trials for emerging drug candidates in the coming year.