A recent discovery of a drug molecule by Artificial Intelligence (AI) is set for human trials. It’s one of the first inventions of machines that will be used on humans. The idea of drug is created by the British startup Exscientia and Japanese pharmacy firm Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma. The drug will be used on the patients who are affected by Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Drug development usually takes about 5 years for the trial, but the AI drug took just 12 months.
Chief Executive of Exscientia Prof Andrew Hopkins described this new drug development as the key milestone. Over the years, we have seen the use of AI that is being used for diagnosing patients’ health records, wherein it scans different tests and data, but it’s the first time anyone is going ahead with AI in the creation of new medicine.
AI created the molecule DSP-1181 using the algorithms that then sifted through various potential compounds and checked them against a huge database of parameters. There are billions of decisions required to be made to find the right molecules, and currently, it is the decision to precise engineer the drug. The first phase of the drug test will be done in Japan, and if successful, more tests will be done on a global scale.
Exscientia is already working on other types of potential drugs for the treatment of cancer and other cardiovascular diseases. The company hopes to create new and better drugs that can be brought into the clinical trial phase by the end of the year. The company predicts that this is the first drug to be created by the company, but by the end of the decade, all new drugs could be potentially created using AI.
The Chief Executive of the Institute of Cancer Research Paul Workman, who was involved in the current AI developed drug research, said in a statement that AI will play a crucial part in the development of new drugs. The technology will provide tools that will enhance and accelerate drug discovery. The researcher is excited that the drug is going to enter human clinical trials.