ICT provider Fujitsu has partnered with research institute Riken in Japan to jointly work on new-generation IT drug discovery technology to accelerate digital transformation in drug discovery.

According to a press statement, the organisations will utilise the supercomputer Fugaku, which they have developed together in the past decade, along with simulation AI technologies. Through these technologies, it is expected that the drug discovery technology they will develop will improve the accuracy and speed of molecular simulation, as well as establish an innovative technology that can predict changes in the structure of target proteins over a wide range.

Targeted to be released by the end of 2026, the new drug discovery solution is intended to perform an analysis of target protein and drug candidate molecule complex and predict large-scale structural changes of molecules with high speed and high accuracy.

WHY IT MATTERS

In their search for COVID-19 drugs and vaccines, researchers have focused on creating middle-molecular drugs and large-molecular drugs, which are believed to provide relatively few side effects with high efficacy. 

Fujitsu and Riken are undertaking a research project to explore new areas in the drug discovery process while helping to bring down the period and costs of the discovery process.

They expect to meet these goals by using molecular simulation, computing, and their respective AI drug discovery technologies to predict unknown complex structures of target proteins and drug candidate molecules.

The partners plan to roll out their upcoming drug discovery solution to pharmaceutical companies and other medical field stakeholders.

THE LARGER TREND

The past few months saw some partnerships forged around drug discovery for treating specific diseases across markets.

Just last month, US-based AI pathology firm PathAI entered into a multi-year partnership with pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline to speed up the drug development in oncology and for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, a type of fatty liver disease. 

South Korean AI drug discovery firm Standigm in December signed a memorandum of understanding with research institute Institut Pasteur Korea to use AI in discovering novel drug candidates for treating tuberculosis.

French AI startup Iktos and drug discovery company Facio Therapies are also collaborating to develop a new drug treatment for muscle weakness and atrophy disorder called facioscapulohumeral dystrophy.

ON THE RECORD

"As demand for the rapid development of effective drugs increases, expectations are mounting for the successful introduction of IT drug discovery. At present, however, major challenges persist in the full-scale implementation of IT drug discovery in society, including the time and accuracy of calculations and limitations surrounding target diseases and drugs. Riken and Fujitsu will work together to transform the drug discovery process by truly integrating computing technologies such as the supercomputer Fugaku with leading-edge AI and machine learning technologies," Fujitsu SVP of Research Seishi Okamoto said.

"While the importance of AI and [digital transformation] is being emphasised in various fields, efforts are being made worldwide to accelerate drug discovery research using these digital technologies in the drug discovery field. In this joint research project, Fujitsu and RIKEN will collaborate to develop the world's best computational technology for drug discovery using the world-class supercomputer Fugaku. We will work to ensure that the result of this joint research is useful to patients around the world who expect new drugs," Yasushi Okuno, director of Riken's HPC and AI-driven Drug Development Platform Division, also commented.