AI designed, synthesised and validated new drug in 46 days

Drug Target Review | September 02, 2019

A company developing artificial intelligence (AI) for drug discovery has published a paper describing how an AI system designed six novel inhibitors of DDR1, a kinase target implicated in fibrosis and other diseases, in 21 days. Insilico Medicine, US, who conducted the study, developed the Generative Tensorial Reinforcement Learning (GENTRL) AI. Four of the compounds were found to be active in biochemical assays and two were validated in cell-based assays. One lead candidate was tested and demonstrated favourable pharmacokinetics in mice. After the design stage, GENTRL was able to synthesise and pre-clinically validate the drug in 25 days, making the whole process take 46 days. According to the research team, the method is 15 times faster than a typical pharma company’s efficient R&D process. Specialised algorithms created synthetic datasets indistinguishable from real datasets by having two neural networks compete against each other. One neural network generates the data and the other compares it to a real data set in iterative cycles so that the degree of error in the synthetic data set is gradually decreased. Rather than using trial and error when looking for molecular leads, requests are made to the network to generate specific leads and leads are generated on demand.

Spotlight

Injection systems that are attached to the patient's body (on-body delivery system OBDS) minimize possible risks, that can occur when drugs are administered by conventional needle-based injection systems (NIS). 

Spotlight

Injection systems that are attached to the patient's body (on-body delivery system OBDS) minimize possible risks, that can occur when drugs are administered by conventional needle-based injection systems (NIS). 

Related News

Pharma Tech

WCG Announces Partnership with Mint Medical to Support Imaging in Oncology Clinical Trials

PRNewswire | June 29, 2023

WCG, one of the world's leading providers of solutions that measurably improve the quality, efficiency, and safety of clinical research, recently announced a partnership with Mint Medical to leverage its mint Lesion™ radiology platform for oncology trials. The mint Lesion™ software is used for standardized and computer-assisted review of medical imaging according to defined protocols, guidelines, and workflows. Compliant and highly configurable, mint Lesion™ is a trusted imaging software for oncology clinical trials, offering quick deployment and more than 20 standardized and configurable response criteria templates out of the box. Through this partnership, WCG will combine its suite of clinical trial management solutions: operational processes, quality systems, imaging solutions, technology, and expansive reviewer network with mint Lesion's™ verified, read-ready platform, structured reporting, and site-specific workflows for a best-in-class solution for oncology trials. "The combination of WCG and Mint Medical offers a powerful solution to the market. WCG's teams are experts in study management and have a proven record of managing international clinical trials across all therapeutic areas and indications, including oncology," said Terri Moench, president, WCG Clinical Research Solutions. "Our ISO-certified processes ensure the processing of participant images received from sites are meticulously planned, implemented, and monitored for success. Combine that with mint Lesion™, a technology built to keep pace with changing requirements and the demand for new response criteria, and you have a solution that is unmatched in the industry." "WCG impressed us with their swift and sound implementation of our groundbreaking technology," said Matthew Hayden, executive director of Clinical Research Operations, Mint Medical. "After just one in-person meeting we crafted a fully operational, fully compliant reading platform that was built and ready for live trial use in just one month. Through this collaborative endeavor, we have forged a dynamic partnership that ensures rapid adaptability to our customers' evolving needs and requirements." About Mint Medical Mint Medical GmbH located in Heidelberg/Germany was founded in 2010 as a spin-off of German Cancer Research Center. The company commits itself to developing innovative software solutions in the field of medical imaging and combines image assessment and reporting in one system by considering guidelines for each clinical application context. A particular focus is currently being set on the field of oncology where the software platform mint Lesion™ is applied in clinical routine and clinical trials. Customers of Mint Medical are radiological practices, (university) hospitals, cancer centers, (Imaging) CROs, as well as pharmaceutical and biotech companies all over the world. In addition to the headquarters in Germany, the company has a subsidiary, Mint Medical Inc., in New Jersey, USA. About WCG WCG is a global leader of solutions that measurably improve and accelerate clinical research. Biopharmaceutical and medical device companies, contract research organizations (CROs), research institutions, and sites partner with us for our unmatched expertise, data intelligence, and purpose-built technology to make informed decisions and optimize study outcomes, while maintaining the highest standards of human participant protection. WCG raises the bar by pioneering new concepts, reimagining processes, fostering compliance and safety, and empowering those who perform clinical trials to accelerate the delivery of medical therapies and devices that improve lives.

Read More

VIEWS AND ANALYSIS, PHARMACY MARKET

Altro Pharmaceuticals Teams Up With LSPedia to Provide Cutting-Edge Technology for FDA DSCSA Compliance

PRNewswire | July 31, 2023

LSPedia, a leading SaaS provider specializing in product traceability solutions for the pharmaceutical industry, has partnered with Altro Pharmaceuticals, enabling Altro customers to easily comply with the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) ahead of the FDA's final deadline on November 27, 2023. Altro provides expertise and services to pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesale distributors, helping them expand their businesses, streamline supply chain operations, increase efficiency, and more. Now, its services include proven, worry-free turnkey DSCSA compliance, thanks to LSPedia's easy-to-use, comprehensive OneScan software suite. Sandy Greco, President of Altro Pharmaceuticals, noted, "Getting DSCSA right is essential to the smooth flow of business in the pharma supply chain, so we take it incredibly seriously, and we absolutely want our customers to succeed with it. LSPedia has the industry's best track record for user experience, scalability, and success – we can say for sure we're offering the best service available." LSPedia's OneScan Suite enables manufacturers and wholesalers to quickly achieve full compliance with all DSCSA requirements, including serialization, sending and receiving EPCIS data, verification, and interoperability. Further, the solution includes access to LSPedia's Investigator for Exceptions Management, the industry's gold standard for alerting, resolving, and preventing EPCIS transaction errors. "Altro is a perfect partner for LSPedia," said LSPedia CEO Riya Cao. "With so little time left before the compliance deadline, access and convenience are essential. Altro supports its customers with a deep service portfolio, and there's every reason it should include easy, complete DSCSA compliance." About LSPedia LSPedia is a leading provider of turnkey DSCSA compliance and SaaS solutions in the pharmaceutical industry. CMOs, manufacturers, 3PLs, wholesale distributors, dispensers, and healthcare providers use LSPedia's OneScan solution to make, move, track, verify, ship, and receive serialized products at every point in the supply chain. As the largest processor of serialized data in the industry, LSPedia builds solutions with workflow, automation, and data security at their core. OneScan delivers flexible integrations, high-performance product verification, and state-of-the-art EPCIS data exchange; LSPedia's Investigator platform is the gold standard for serialization exceptions management, as the first collaborative platform to resolve EPCIS errors and supply chain issues in real time.

Read More

Pharmacy Market

Everest Medicines Announces Commercial Launch and First Prescription for XERAVA® in China

PRNewswire | July 27, 2023

Everest Medicines a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development, manufacturing and commercialization of innovative medicines and vaccines, announced today XERAVA® (eravacycline) has been successfully launched in China with its first prescription issued at Huashan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University. The commercialization of XERAVA® in China marks Everest's transformation into a commercial-stage innovative biopharmaceutical company. XERAVA® is the world's first fluorocycline antibiotic for the treatment of infections caused by susceptible gram positive, gram negative and anaerobic pathogens including multidrug resistant ("MDR") isolates. It was approved by the National Medical Products Administration ("NMPA") of China for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections ("cIAI") in adult patients in March 2023, and has been recommended by multiple treatment guidelines in China and globally, based on its broad bacterial spectrum coverage and high potency against multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. "The commercialization of XERAVA® in China is a significant milestone for Everest as a company, as this marks the beginning of Everest as a commercial-stage biopharma company. I want to thank everyone involved in bringing XERAVA® to a successful launch," said Rogers Yongqing Luo, Chief Executive Officer of Everest Medicines. "After the commercial launch, we will accelerate patient access to XERAVA® with a lean commercial team, following a highly efficient commercial strategy. The company will continue to advance the approval and commercialization of other first-in-class or best-in-class drug candidates such as Nefecon to further address urgent unmet needs in China and the rest of Asia." "Eravacycline has broad antibacterial spectrum and high potency against common clinical multi-drug resistant bacteria such as ESBL-producing bacteria, CRE, CRAB, MRSA and VRE," said Dr. Zhu Duming, leader and chief physician of the Critical Care Department at Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated with Fudan University. "It has been recommended by authoritative guidelines at home and abroad for the treatment of MDR Gram-negative bacterial infections. The launch of eravacycline in China will help doctors tackle the challenges of clinical drug resistance." "Patients with malignant hematological diseases have a high incidence of neutropenia and fever caused by radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Antibacterial treatment is very important for patients with neutropenia and fever as MDR/Carbapenem-resistant Organism ("CRO") infections have high mortality rates," said Sun Aining, chief physician at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University. "As the world's first fluorocycline antibiotic, eravacycline has completed phase II/III clinical trials and multiple real-world studies around the world to demonstrate that it has good clinical efficacy and safety profiles. It is an innovative choice for the treatment of MDR/CRO infections." In addition to XERAVA®, Everest anticipates the launch of three additional innovative drugs in China over the next two years, including Nefecon, the first-in-disease treatment for adults with primary immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) and expected to be approved in China in the second half of this year. In the infectious disease space, Everest is actively developing other important drug candidates to meet the urgent demand for innovative antibacterial treatment. The company plans to file New Drug Application for cefepime-taniborbactam in China this year for complicated urinary tract infection. In immunology, etrasimod is a next-generation, oral selective sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulator with a differentiated efficacy and safety profiles. The company aims to submit NDA in Everest territories as soon as possible. About XERAVA® XERAVA® is a novel, fully synthetic, fluorocycline intravenous antibiotic for the treatment of infections caused by susceptible gram-positive , gram-negative and anaerobic pathogens including those multidrug resistant ("MDR") isolates. XERAVA® is currently approved for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections in the US, EU, GB, Singapore, mainland China, Hong Kong and the medicine is currently under review for cIAI in Taiwan region. XERAVA® was licensed from Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Innoviva, Inc. About Everest Medicines Everest Medicines is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing transformative pharmaceutical products and vaccines that address critical unmet medical needs for patients in Asian markets. The management team of Everest Medicines has deep expertise and an extensive track record from both leading global pharmaceutical companies and local Chinese pharmaceutical companies in high-quality discovery, clinical development, regulatory affairs, CMC, business development and operations. Everest Medicines has built a portfolio of potentially global first-in-class or best-in-class molecules in the company's core therapeutic areas of renal diseases, infectious diseases and autoimmune disorders.

Read More