Google DeepMind’s biotechnology startup Isomorphic Labs is preparing to begin the first clinical trials on humans for drugs developed with artificial intelligence. The company is basing its development process on AlphaFold technology.
Google DeepMind will test drugs with artificial intelligence
Developed by DeepMind in 2020, this system initially stood out for predicting protein structures with high accuracy. The system was later developed to simulate interactions with DNA sequences and drug molecules.
The drugs that Isomorphic Labs is working on focus on areas such as cancer and immune system diseases. The company’s CEO Colin Murdoch said this week that clinical trials will begin soon and that the necessary teams for human trials have begun to be established in this direction. It is stated that next-generation drug designs are currently being developed together by artificial intelligence engineers and pharmaceutical experts in their London headquarters.
Isomorphic Labs, which separated from DeepMind in 2021 and became an independent structure, signed extensive research and development agreements with global pharmaceutical companies such as Novartis and Eli Lilly after the introduction of AlphaFold 3 in 2024.
The company also received its largest external financing to date with a $600 million investment round led by Thrive Capital. These steps are being taken towards the company’s transformation into a global AI platform in drug development processes.
The high cost and low success rate of traditional drug development processes highlight the potential impact of this new approach developed with AI. In studies carried out with billions of dollars of investments in the sector, there is only a 10 percent success rate.
Isomorphic Labs draws attention with its new model that aims to increase this rate and accelerate the process. The results to be obtained from clinical trials will constitute the most critical stage that will determine the impact of the company’s approach in the pharmaceutical industry.
