DNDi and Atomwise collaborate to advance drug development using AI for neglected diseases
Efforts to discover novel compounds against Chagas disease see early successes – part of Atomwise’s Artificial Intelligence Molecular Screen (AIMS) Awards programme to fast track drug development
Atomwise, Inc., a biotech company using artificial intelligence (AI) for drug discovery, and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative(DNDi), 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 programme to develop first-in-class treatments for Chagas disease. The research collaboration is part of Atomwise’s Artificial Intelligence Molecular Screen (AIMS) Awards programme.
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.
DNDi 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 programme, which supports hundreds of researchers at non-profit institutions and universities worldwide, Atomwise provided compounds at no cost to be tested by DNDi 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 DNDi. “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.”
Current treatments for Chagas disease are suboptimal, with long treatment periods and uncertain efficacy for those in the advanced stage of the disease. Together, DNDi and Atomwise are driving drug discovery research in new directions to address a public health challenge that affects many corners of the world.
“DNDi’s early success in Chagas disease is exemplary of the goal we sought to accomplish when we established the AIMS programme to accelerate life-saving drug discovery,” said Dr. Abraham Heifets, CEO at Atomwise. “Our scientists are working creatively with DNDi researchers to apply our technology to targets that some might consider undruggable or too early for rational drug design due to insufficient data. While these targets present the greatest challenge, they also provide the greatest opportunity for transformative treatments for Chagas disease. The research conducted through this collaboration could offer a path to novel medicines.”