ICT provider Fujitsu has partnered with Riken Research Institute in Japan to jointly work on next-generation drug discovery computing technology to accelerate digital transformation in drug discovery.

According to a press release, the organizations will use the Fugaku supercomputer, which they have developed together over the past decade, along with AI simulation technologies. With 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 capable of predicting changes in the structure of target proteins over a wide range.

Scheduled to be released by the end of 2026, the new drug discovery solution is intended to perform complex analysis of target proteins and candidate molecules and predict large-scale structural changes of molecules with high speed and great precision.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT

In their search for drugs and vaccines against COVID-19, researchers have focused on creating medium molecular weight drugs and high molecular weight 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 reduce the time and cost of the discovery process.

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

The partners plan to deploy their next drug discovery solution to pharmaceutical companies and other medical players.

THE GREAT TREND

In recent months, partnerships have been forged around drug discovery to treat specific diseases in all markets.

Last month, an American AI pathology society PathAI has entered into a multi-year partnership with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline to accelerate drug development in oncology and for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, a type of fatty liver disease.

South Korean AI Drug Discovery Society Standigm signed a memorandum of understanding in December with the research institute Institut Pasteur Korea to use AI in the discovery of new drug candidates for the treatment of tuberculosis.

French AI startup Iktos and drug discovery company Facio Therapies is also collaborating to develop a new drug treatment for the muscle weakness and atrophic disorder called Facioscapulohumeral Dystrophy.

REGISTRATION

“As the demand for the rapid development of effective drugs grows, expectations rise for the successful introduction of computational drug discovery. At present, however, major challenges persist in the large-scale implementation of computational 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 computational technologies such as the Fugaku supercomputer with state-of-the-art artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies,” said Seishi Okamoto, senior vice president of research at Fujitsu.

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