Isomorphic Labs, a drug design and development company, raised $600 million in its first external funding round, led by Thrive Capital, with participation from GV (Google Ventures) and existing investor Alphabet. Launched in 2021 in partnership with Google DeepMind, Isomorphic Labs unveiled AlphaFold 3, an AI model developed to predict the structure of proteins, DNA, RNA, and ligands and their interactions. This model is expected to revolutionize biological understanding and drug discovery.
Beyond AlphaFold, Isomorphic Labs has developed a broader AI drug design engine with predictive and generative AI models, capable of working across various therapeutic areas and drug modalities. The company plans to use the new funding to advance its AI drug design programs and drive biomedical breakthroughs.
Founder and CEO Demis Hassabis expressed excitement about the funding, stating it would accelerate the development of next-generation AI drug design and help advance their clinical programs. He emphasized the company's long-term mission to solve all diseases with the help of AI.
In recent collaborations, Isomorphic Labs expanded its strategic research partnership with Novartis in February, adding three additional research programs, following their 2024 agreement. Additionally, Isomorphic entered into a research collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company for small molecule therapeutics, receiving a $45 million upfront payment. The company also collaborated with Novartis on discovering small molecule therapeutics targeting undisclosed areas.
Google DeepMind also launched AlphaProteo, an AI system designed to help researchers create high-strength proteins that bind precisely to target molecules, further enhancing scientific progress through its integration with the Protein Data Bank (PDB).
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