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User:Birulik/Insilico Medicine (rework)

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Insilico Medicine
Company typePrivate company
IndustryBiotechnology
Founded2014; 10 years ago (2014)
FounderAlex Zhavoronkov
Headquarters
Hong Kong
,
China
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Alex Zhavoronkov
Number of employees
85 (2019)
DivisionsPharma.AI
Websitehttps://insilico.com

Insilico Medicine is a biotechnology company headquartered in Hong Kong. It applies deep learning, generative adversarial networks and reinforcement learning for biomarker development, clinical trials analysis, in silico drug discovery and other fields of digital medicine.[1][2]

History

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Insilico Medicine was founded by computer scientist and biotechnologist Alex Zhavoronkov in 2014. Zhavoronkov's studies in John Hopkins University and Moscow State University were focused on applying machine learning to biological research and Insilico was started up as a company that used deep neural networks to mine biological data to find potential drug targets. Later Zhavoronkov applied Ian Goodfellow's works on machine learning employing generative adversarial networks (GANs) and AI imagination to devise molecules with desired properties de novo instead of screening databases of chemical compounds.[3] Insilico published its first peer-reviewed article in this field in 2016. Following that research the company developed a drug discovery engine based on generative tensorial reinforcement learning (GENTRL).[4][5][6] Since its establishment the company has raised over $50 million from venture funds and longevity-focused investors such as British philanthropist and entrepreneur Jim Mellon.[7] Its largest $37 million Series B investment round in September 2019 was led by Qiming Venture Partners joined by Eight Roads Ventures, F-Prime Capital, Lilly Asia Ventures, Sinovation Ventures, Baidu Ventures, Pavilion Capital, BOLD Capital Partners, Juvenescence and other companies.[8][9][10]

Recognition

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Insilico's AI-based approach has brough it industry recognition. It was called "the most promising company" at Palo Alto Personalized Medicine World Conference in 2015.[11] In 2018 Insilico was granted the Frost & Sullivan North American Technology Innovation Award for advances in aging research and drug development.[12] In 2020 the company was also included in Fierce Biotech's list of top biotechnological companies[13] and was listed as key player in the field of generative molecule design in MIT Technology Review list of breakthrough technologies.[14]

Research Areas

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Drug discovery

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Insilico Medicine pioneered the use of generative adversarial networks (GANs) and reinforcement learning (RL) in the field of drug discovery.[3] Its drug discovery engine is built on AI imagination and can generate molecules with intended properties using information on patented compounds with proven efficiency against specific biological targets.[15][16] In 2016 Insilico published the proof-of-concept for the deep learned prediction of chemicals' therapeutic use.[17] In another research it proposed the use of generative adversarial autoencoders trained on molecular fingerprints to identify potential drug candidates in PubChem.[18] In 2019 Insilico and its collaborators from the University of Toronto published a proof-of-concept paper on the use generative tensorial reinforcement learning (GENTRL) for drug discovery in Nature journal.[19] In 21 days the AI trained on known inhibitors of DDR1 kinase involved in progression of fibrosis generated potential ligands that went through sorting, scoring and review. The most promising ones went through in vitro and in vivo in the following 25 days, and the best molecule was found stable and potent against DDR1.[20] The experiment was generally considered a substantial advance in generative drug design.[21][22] Insilico respond to 2019—2020 coronavirus outbreak by using its AI methods to generate potential inhibitors of 3C-like protease, an enzyme critical for coronavirus reproduction, and providing open access to research data.[23][24][25] As of the beginning of 2020 the company also had drug discovery programs for cancer, aging, fibrosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, diabetes and other conditions.[10]

Biomarkers of Aging and Disease

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Insilico Medicine works on biological aging clocks based on biomarkers in the blood, gut microbiome and other sources of data, and uses deep learning models to predict individual's biological age. If validated, such models may be used to track response in clinial trials of anti-aging medication.[26] In 2015 and 2016 the company worked on "hematologic aging clocks" using a dataset composed of blood biochemistry and cell count test to train a neural network to estimate a person's age within a timeframe of 10 years with 83,5% accuracy and determining a person's sex with 99% accuracy without measureing hormone levels.[27][28] The research paper was published in Aging journal and became the second most popular publication in its history.[29] Future research allowed Insilico to improve precision withing 6 years.[30][31][32] Insilico also managed to build a reliable method to determine smoking status using its age-prediction model to measure accelerated of biological aging due to tobacco consumption.[33] In 2019 Insilico Medicine proposed a "microbiome aging clock" based on analysis of individual's gut microbiome. The algorithms trained on 1,165 samples was able to predict an individual's age within a margin of 4 years.[34][35][36][37]

Partnerships and Associations

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Insilico Medicine had over 150 academic and industry partnerships focused on validation and application of its technologies and clinical studies.[19][38] Insilico's partners in big pharma include Pfizer,[39] Jiangsu Chia Tai Fenghai Pharmaceutical,[40], and GlaxoSmithKline.[41] Academic partners include the University of Copenhagen,[42] Gachon University,[43] Ageing Research at King's.[12][44] It also has joint ventures with Juvenescence,[45] Buck Institute for Research on Aging,[46] A2A Pharmaceuticals,[47] Bitfury Group.[48][49] In 2018 Insilico Medicine together with AWS, Bayer, GE Healthcare, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson and other firms working on AI application in healthcare announced the creation of an industry-wide collaborative coalition named Alliance for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare (AAIH).[50][51] The Alliance is aimed at increasing education outreach on AI, promoting investments in AI R&D and developing policies and regulation in cooperation with governmental bodies in EU, US and beyond.[52]

Locations and management

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Insilico Medicine is headquartered in Hong Kong and employs 85 AI experts and scientists in research and development facilities in Belgium, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, UK and the US.[12] Insilico's founder Alex Zhavoronkov is the CEO. Insilico's research team has over 120 peer-reviewed publications with over 3,300 citations.[19]

Notes

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  1. ^ "Top Companies Using A.I. In Drug Discovery And Development". The Medical Futurist. September 17, 2019. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  2. ^ Topol 2019, p. 2017.
  3. ^ a b Richard Staines. "Could AI create a brave new world of pharma R&D?". Deep Dive Digital Magazine. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  4. ^ Alex Knapp (September 2, 2019). "This Startup Used AI To Design A Drug In 21 Days". Forbes. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  5. ^ Hooper 2018, p. 223.
  6. ^ Drug Design 2019, p. 15.
  7. ^ Andrew McConaghie (April 11, 2017). "Billionaire Jim Mellon invests in anti-ageing research firm". Pharmaphorum. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  8. ^ Carol Huang (September 10, 2019). "HK-based biotech startup gets venture capital injection". FinanceAsia. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  9. ^ Amber Tong (September 10, 2019). "Alex Zhavoronkov follows landmark AI paper with $37M round for Insilico featuring top-notch China VCs". Endpoint News. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  10. ^ a b Diamandis 2020, p. 165-166.
  11. ^ Nicola Bagalà (April 18, 2017). "Dr. Alex Zhavoronkov – A.I. Versus Aging". Life Extension Advocacy Foundation. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  12. ^ a b c "2018 North American Artificial Intelligence for Aging Research and Drug Development Technology Innovation Award". Frost & Sullivan. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  13. ^ Conor Hale (March 9, 2020). "FierceMedTech's 2019 Fierce 15". Fierce Biotech. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  14. ^ "10 Breakthrough Technologies 2020". MIT Technology Review. February 26, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  15. ^ Charlotte Jee (September 3, 2019). "An AI system identified a potential new drug in just 46 days". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  16. ^ Danny Crichton (June 11, 2018). "With strategic investment, Insilico Medicine is using deep learning to defeat aging". TechCrunch. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  17. ^ Yasmin Tayag (May 26, 2016). "How Artificial Intelligence Is Being Used to Discover New Uses for Drugs". Inverse. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  18. ^ "Scientists apply generative neural network to create new pharmaceutical medicines". News Medical. February 9, 2017. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  19. ^ a b c "Intelligent drug discovery: Powered by AI" (PDF). Deloitte. 2019. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  20. ^ Gregory Barber (September 2, 2019). "A Molecule Designed by AI Exhibits 'Druglike' Qualities". Wired. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  21. ^ Sam Lemonick (September 4, 2019). "AI identifies drug candidate in weeks". C&EN. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  22. ^ Derek Lowe (September 4, 2019). "Has AI Discovered a Drug Now? Guess". Science Translational Medicine. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  23. ^ Jeremy Kahn (February 6, 2020). "Startup uses A.I. to identify molecules that could fight coronavirus". Fortune. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  24. ^ Sam Lemonick (February 4, 2020). "Two groups use artificial intelligence to find compounds that could fight the novel coronavirus". C&EN. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  25. ^ Jared Council, Brian Gormley (March 6, 2020). "Biotech Companies Tap AI to Speed Path to Coronavirus Treatments". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  26. ^ "Artificial Intelligence In Drug Discovery: Hope or Hype?" (PDF). C&EN. 2019. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  27. ^ Katharine Sharpe (May 20, 2016). "Could a blood test reveal your AGE? AI computer can predict how old you by analysing chemicals from a sample". Mail Online. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  28. ^ Sarah Kramer (February 19, 2016). "This medical company created an online calculator that uses AI to guess your age and sex". Business Insider. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  29. ^ Andrew McConaghie (April 11, 2017). "Billionaire Jim Mellon invests in anti-ageing research firm". Pharmaphorum. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  30. ^ Robby Berman (February 9, 2018). "This A.I. can predict how long you'll live—and it's free". Big Think. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  31. ^ Anastasia Komarova (January 26, 2018). "Neural Networks Can Identify Any Person's Age". ITMO.News. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  32. ^ Mellon 2017.
  33. ^ "Smoking Accelerates Biological Age, Says AI". Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News. January 17, 2019. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  34. ^ Emily Mullin (January 11, 2019). "The bacteria in your gut may reveal your true age". Science. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  35. ^ Siobhán Dunphy (January 15, 2019). "Want to know someone's true age? Just look at their microbiome". European Scientist. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  36. ^ Robin Marantz Henig (December 17, 2019). "How trillions of microbes affect every stage of our life—from birth to old age". National Geographic. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  37. ^ Discovery 2019, p. 18.
  38. ^ Ruth Reader (September 20, 2019). "The billion-dollar race to change how drugs are made". Fast Company. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  39. ^ Nick Paul Taylor (January 16, 2020). "Pfizer teams up with Insilico to mine data for drug targets". FierceBiotech. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  40. ^ Conor Hale (October 9, 2019). "Insilico signs $200M AI drug discovery partnership with China's CTFH". FierceBiotech. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  41. ^ Amirah Al Idrus (August 16, 2017). "GlaxoSmithKline taps Baltimore's Insilico for AI-based drug discovery". FierceBiotech. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  42. ^ "Artificial intelligence is used to fight premature aging". University of Copenhagen. July 31, 2017. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  43. ^ Marian Chu (April 12, 2019). "Insilico enters Korea to focus on skincare, wound-healing". Korea Biomedical Review. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  44. ^ Anna Smith (May 23, 2019). "Insilico, ARK initiate health-span and longevity partnership". PharmaTimes. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  45. ^ "Juvenescence Creates AI-Focused Approach to Longevity". Nanalyze. September 8, 2019. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  46. ^ Conor Hale (August 14, 2018). "Insilico, Juvenescence and the Buck Institute form AI-based venture to tackle metabolism and aging-related diseases". FierceBiotech. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  47. ^ Conor Hale (July 20, 2018). "Insilico and A2A launch new Duchenne-focused AI drug company". FierceBiotech. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  48. ^ Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss (August 11, 2017). "U.S. blockchain company in tie-up on medical artificial intelligence". Reuters. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  49. ^ Kyt Dotson (April 4, 2019). "Bitfury and Longenesis team up to build medical consent platform for research". Silicon Angle. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  50. ^ "AI firms to establish research platform". AuntMinnie. September 13, 2018. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  51. ^ Danielle Brown (January 3, 2019). "Newly-formed alliance for AI in healthcare to officially launch". AI in Healthcare. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  52. ^ Jabe Wilson (June 26, 2019). "Healthcare Organizations, Including Major Pharmas, Band Together to Form AI-focused Group". Elsevier. Retrieved February 29, 2020.

References

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  • Topol, Eric (2019). Deep Medicine: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Healthcare Human Again. New York: Basic Books. p. 217. ISBN 9781541644649.
  • "The Future of Drugs". The Future Is Faster Than You Think. New York: Simon & Schuster. 2019. pp. 165–166. ISBN 9781982109684. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  • "Is ageing a desease?". Juvenescence: Investing in the age of longevity. Douglas: Fruitfull Publication. 2017. ISBN 978-0-9930478-1-7. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  • "Longevity". Superhuman: Life at the Extremes of Our Capacity. New York: Simon & Schuster. 2018. p. 223. ISBN 978-1-5011-6871-0. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  • AI identifies kinase drug candidate in weeks. But can it do the same for harder targets?. Discovery Report. 2019. p. 18. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  • The rise of AI drug discovery disruptors. Case Study 3. Insilico Medicine and AI Imagination For Drug Design. Diegem: Deloitte.Insights. 2019. p. 15. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
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