DNDi and Atomwise Collaborate to Advance Drug Development Using AI for Neglected Diseases

A biotech company using artificial intelligence (AI) for drug discovery, and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DND i ), a not-for-profit research and development organization working to deliver new treatments for neglected diseases, today announced that promising drug-like compounds have been discovered in a program to develop first-in-class treatments for Chagas disease. The research collaboration is part of Atomwise’s Artificial Intelligence Molecular Screen (AIMS) Awards program. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 6-7 million people in the world have Chagas disease. Approximately 30% of those with Chagas disease develop life-threatening cardiac, digestive, or neurological disorders. DND i scientists selected three verified but challenging therapeutic protein targets that would inhibit the action of the parasite that causes Chagas disease. For each disease protein, Atomwise screened millions of compounds using its AI-powered screening technology to predict those that bind and potentially inhibit protein function. This research has delivered drug-like compounds that will now go on to further optimization and then potential drug development. Through the AIMS program, which supports hundreds of researchers at non-profit institutions and universities worldwide, Atomwise provided compounds at no cost to be tested by DND i researchers. “Our partnership with Atomwise has allowed us access to state-of-the-art technology that is more efficient and cost-effective than standard methods,” said Benjamin Perry, Ph.D., Senior Discovery Manager and Research Scientist at DND i. “Ultimately, the next step for this partnership will be to further develop the compounds in active discovery projects and help fill the pipeline of potential treatments for patients with Chagas disease. This win-win collaboration is showing the potential of new technology for neglected disease drug discovery.”