Isomorphic Labs to Begin Trials for AI-Designed Drug by Year-End: Report

Isomorphic Labs, a drug discovery startup owned by Google‘s parent Alphabet, will have its first AI-designed drug enter clinical trials by the end of 2025, according to founder Demis Hassabis. Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Hassabis revealed that the company is targeting major disease areas, including oncology, cardiovascular, and neurodegeneration, as reported by the Financial Times.

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Also Read: Novo Nordisk and Valo Health Expand AI Partnership for Drug Discovery

Collaborations with Eli Lilly and Novartis

The company, which was spun out of Google DeepMind in 2021, aims to reduce the drug development timeline—traditionally 5 to 10 years—by up to tenfold using artificial intelligence. Isomorphic Labs is collaborating with pharmaceutical companies Eli Lilly and Novartis on six drug development programs, according to the report.

Project Astra: AI Assistant

Hassabis, who also serves as chief executive of Google DeepMind, reportedly said the company’s prototype AI assistant, known as Project Astra, is expected to roll out to consumers later this year. According to the report, he described a near future, within three years, where there are “billions” of AI agents, “negotiating with each other on behalf of the vendor and the customer.” This development, he said, would require a rethinking of the web itself.

However, Hassabis urged more caution and coordination among leading AI developers in developing artificial general intelligence (AGI), warning of potential misuse by malicious actors.

Threaten Human Civilisation

He reportedly cautioned that the technology could threaten human civilisation if it runs out of control or is repurposed by “bad actors…for harmful ends.”