DeepMind’s Isomorphic Labs to Start AI-Designed Drug Trials

Isomorphic Labs, a spinoff of Google DeepMind, plans to begin clinical trials for drugs designed using artificial intelligence by the end of the year. Demis Hassabis, CEO of both DeepMind and Isomorphic Labs, shared this ambitious goal during a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

“We’ll hopefully have some AI-designed drugs in clinical trials by the end of the year,” Hassabis said. “That’s the plan.”

Transforming Drug Discovery

Isomorphic Labs is leveraging AI to dramatically reduce the drug discovery timeline—from the traditional decade or more to just “weeks or months,” according to Hassabis. This approach builds on the breakthrough research of Hassabis and DeepMind scientist John Jumper, who, along with a U.S. professor, were awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for advancements in predicting protein structures.

DeepMind’s AlphaFold, the AI tool underpinning this effort, has evolved significantly since its release in 2018. Now in its third iteration, AlphaFold models complex molecular structures, including DNA and RNA, and predicts how they interact.

Industry Collaboration

Despite AI’s promise in drug development, major pharmaceutical companies have adopted a cautious approach. A December report by Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Andrew Galler highlighted that initial data for clinical candidates remains mixed.

Nevertheless, partnerships between tech companies and pharmaceutical giants are growing. Last year, Isomorphic Labs announced strategic research collaborations with Eli Lilly & Co. and Novartis AG, signaling increased confidence in the technology’s potential.

A Cautious Outlook on AGI

While Hassabis is optimistic about the transformative power of AI in specific fields, he cautioned that artificial general intelligence (AGI)—where algorithms surpass humans on most tasks—is still years away.

“A small handful of probably big breakthroughs are needed,” Hassabis said. “It might be none, it might be just scaling from here. But I suspect that there may be one or two things that are missing, which will take more of a five-year timescale.”

What This Means

Isomorphic Labs’ ambitious timeline for AI-designed drug trials could mark a turning point in medicine, reducing the time and cost of drug discovery while addressing complex diseases more efficiently. If successful, these advancements could lead to better, more effective drugs becoming available faster—potentially saving lives and improving patient outcomes worldwide, while establishing a new standard for collaboration between AI and pharmaceutical industries.

While the promise of AGI remains distant, Hassabis’s cautious optimism underscores the importance of continued innovation and research. The next few years could reveal whether AI’s true potential in healthcare and beyond can be fully realized.

Editor’s Note: This article was created by Alicia Shapiro, CMO of AiNews.com, with writing, image, and idea-generation support from ChatGPT, an AI assistant. However, the final perspective and editorial choices are solely Alicia Shapiro’s. Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with research and editorial support in crafting this article.