French start-up Iktos has announced a collaboration with Pfizer on the use of its artificial intelligence technology for drug design. This partnership comes in response to the considerable progress in the development of AI algorithms and computing power that has enabled the development of innovative approaches to small molecule drug design.

Founded in 2016, Iktos develops generative AI technology in numerous collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotech companies. A fundamental aspect of the technology lies in the exploration of chemical space performed by generating compounds in silico under the constraints of the program’s final objectives, rather than by screening compound libraries. As part of the collaboration, Pfizer has deployed Iktos’ generative AI technology and is applying it to several small molecule research programs.

“Pfizer has an active interest in AI for de novo design and we are pleased to work with Iktos to use their AI technology in a number of our programs,” said Charlotte Allerton, Head of Drug Design at Pfizer.

Earlier this year, Iktos launched Makya™, its de novo AI-based design software for multi-parameter optimization (MPO), available either as a SaaS platform or installed in the customer’s IT environment or virtual private cloud (VPC). Makya’s interface allows it to be used by medicinal or computational chemists. Makya can also be run as a Python package via a Jupyter notebook interface.

“We are proud to work with Pfizer and delighted that their scientists are using our software in their research programs,” said Yann Gaston-Mathé, co-founder and CEO of Iktos.

“Our ultimate goal is to put our technology in the hands of drug discovery researchers who have a deep knowledge and understanding of their research programs. By combining their drug discovery expertise with our know-how in algorithmic and data science, as well as our experience from numerous collaborations established to date, we believe that AI’s promise to significantly improve drug discovery will have a better chance of being realized and having an impact on therapeutic development”.

Translated from Iktos et Pfizer annonce leur collaboration sur un projet d’intelligence artificielle appliquée à la découverte de médicaments