NVIDIA expands BioNeMo platform with new foundation models and microservices for AI-powered Drug Discovery

The most recent NVIDIA BioNeMo foundation models can help drug discovery groups design drug molecules virtually. [Credit: NVIDIA]

NVIDIA is putting the power of generative AI for drug discovery into the hands of more pharmaceutical and biotech companies with an expanded collection of AI models and flexible deployment options. More than 100 firms are already using the company’s biomolecular BioNeMo platform to accelerate the development of therapeutics.

“For the first time in history, we can represent the world of biology and chemistry in a computer, making computer-aided drug discovery possible,” said Kimberly Powell, NVIDIA VP of healthcare, in a press briefing. “By helping healthcare companies easily build and manage AI solutions, we’re enabling them to harness the full power and potential of generative AI.”

The latest additions to BioNeMo, announced today at NVIDIA G…

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Denmark teams up with Novo Nordisk Foundation, NVIDIA to launch visionary AI research center

A total of 15,128 NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs (pictured here) will be used in the Denmark AI Innovation Center. The hardware can support the development of advanced AI applications, from protein structure prediction to quantum computing research.

A collaboration between the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO), and NVIDIA will establish a national AI Innovation Centre in Denmark focused on accelerating research and innovation in fields including healthcare, life science, and quantum computing. The initiative is led on the Danish side by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, which has committed roughly DKK 600 million (around $90 million) toward the initial costs of the center, and the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO), which has contributed another DKK 100 million.

In a press briefing, Kimberly Powell, NVIDIA’s VP of healthcare, highlighted Denmark’s “…

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Iambic Therapeutics and NVIDIA partner to slash cancer drug development timelines

Using generative AI in drug discovery, Iambic Therapeutics (formerly Entos) has advanced its IAM1363 drug candidate from program launch to clinical studies in fewer than 24 months — a process that often takes several years. Iambic Therapeutics’ AI drug development milestone relied on an alliance with NVIDIA researchers and engineers and through the use of AI tools, including NeuralPLexer, a generative AI model designed to predict the three-dimensional structure and binding interactions of protein-ligand complexes.

The company has since developed the next generation of the model, dubbed NeuralPLexer2 that boasts higher accuracy and new features for biomolecular structure prediction and drug design.

IAM1363 is a selective, brain-penetrant inhibitor designed to treat HER2-driven cancers. It is designed to target metastatic tumors throughout the body, including the brain, while offering a wider therapeutic index and reduced toxicity over existing therapies. Read more

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Q&A: How Insilico Medicine’s AI identified a new IPF drug target in record time

Alex Zhavoronkov, Ph.D.

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), a devastating lung disease affecting millions with increasing incidence, may have a new treatment hope thanks to a novel inhibitor of TNIK, a kinase newly implicated in fibrosis, identified using generative AI drug discovery platforms in just 18 months.

Researchers at Insilico Medicine, along with international collaborators, harnessed the power of AI platforms PandaOmics and Chemistry42 to make a breakthrough discovery. Nature Biotechnology recently published the group’s findings, showcase the potential of AI to accelerate drug discovery. The scientists identified TNIK as a promising therapeutic target for fibrotic diseases and developed INS018_055, a potent TNIK inhibitor. Preclinical models demonstrated INS018_055’s superior anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects compared to current treatments.

Beyond fibrotic diseas…
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Could Wegovy’s cardiovascular label expansion be a catalyst for GLP-1 obesity drug coverage?

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The recent FDA approval of a cardiovascular risk reduction indication for Wegovy (semaglutide) could point toward a significant opportunity for pharma companies seeking to reshape payer perceptions and expand coverage for next-gen metabolic therapies. This regulatory shift, allowing Wegovy to be prescribed for reducing the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke in addition to weight loss, aligns with mounting payer pressure to address the worsening obesity epidemic, which could impact 60% to 80% of the population of Western nations by the middle of the century. The dynamic has the potential to break down long-standing reimbursement barriers for effective yet costly medications.

Payers reckoning with the complex economics of obesity

There were already signs of change. While around 25% of employers provided coverage for GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic …

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Lantern Pharma aims to take drug to phase 3 for $100-200 million with AI-powered approach

Lantern Pharma’s AI-powered sprint 

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Lantern Pharma (NASDAQ: LTRN), a publicly traded clinical-stage biotech company with a market cap of around $79 million as of mid-March 2024, is shooting for developing $200 million drugs with a machine learning-based platform.

The oncology-focused firm Lantern Pharma, profiled last year, has developed a new drug (LP-284) in less than three years for under $3 million, which CEO Panna Sharma notes is “unheard of.” By using AI, Sharma projects that the company could develop a drug from concept to phase 3 trials for a price tag of $100–200 million — a small fraction of the typically $2.3 billion drug development price tag.

“We’re developing new drugs in less than two and a half years, from an idea through GMP manufacturing, to orphan indications, and multiple publications at ASH [American Society of Hematology] and SOHO [Society of Hem…

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In 2023, Roche and Novartis led the pack in drug pipeline scale

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When reviewing R&D spending trends for 2023, Merck & Co. is a clear outlier given its decision to count its $10.3 billion Prometheus acquisition as an R&D charge. In all, the company committed more than half of its revenue to R&D. But Swiss giants Roche and Novartis remain frontrunners in terms of their pipeline of potential new medications. Both have more than 190 drugs in their pipelines.

Roche’s diversified approach ranges from oncology to ophthalmology

Roche’s focus spans oncology, immunology, neuroscience, and cardiovascular diseases. The company’s oncology portfolio stands out with candidates such as inavolisib and giredestrant that target novel mechanisms in breast cancer. Additionally, Inavolisib, a PI3K inhibitor, targets the PI3Kα isoform, involved in the pathways that drive cell growth and survival. It shows potential not only in breast cancer but also i…

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Navigating the cancer progression pathway with liquid biopsy

[Cancer image licensed from Adobe Stock]

Tumor heterogeneity analysis is a challenging but critical step for the advancement of cancer therapy research. DNA mutation interrogation and gene expression pattern evaluation are crucial for predicting a tumor’s response or resistance to specific drug or hormone treatments. Liquid biopsy has emerged as a promising tool, offering a rapid, minimally invasive method for early detection, prognosis, monitoring solid tumor status, and predicting responses to cancer therapy. The concept of liquid biopsy initially centered on the detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), and later expanded to include the utilization of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to extract tumor information.

Assessing CTC abundance and phenotypic changes, along with measuring ctDNA concentration, holds the potential for real-time tracking of disease progression, tumor burden and recurrence. Additio…

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FDA fast-tracks psilocybin-based CYB003 for depression

The FDA continues to signal openness to psychedelic-based therapies. Following its recent Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) for a potential LSD-based anxiety treatment, the agency has extended the same status to Cybin Inc.‘s CYB003 for major depressive disorder (MDD). The move marks the first FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for an adjunctive, psychedelic-based Major Depressive Disorder treatment. This move expedites CYB003’s review process and provides increased FDA guidance throughout development.

“I think there’s a positive attitude at the FDA,” said Doug Drysdale, CEO of Cybin. He noted that a significant number of agency representatives attended their end of Phase 2b meeting, indicating strong interest across departments. “They seem excited about the potential of these new treatments.”

FDA’s Breakthrough Designations for psychedelic and MDMA therapies

The FDA has previously granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) to psiloc…

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How Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy cardiovascular benefits could drive further growth

Semaglutide was already one of the best-selling drugs of recent memory. And Novo Nordisk the fastest-growing Big Pharma firm. Now, the FDA’s decision to expand the label of its weight-loss version of the drug to include cardiovascular benefits could help unlock more growth momentum for Novo Nordisk. This positions Wegovy as the first weight-loss medication also cleared for reducing the risk of heart attack, stroke, or heart-related death in at-risk individuals. The approval, based on a 17,600-patient SELECT study demonstrating a 20% lower risk of cardiac events with Wegovy versus placebo, could have a material impact on sales. The study also found that patients lost an average of 15% of their weight.

The expanded FDA label sanctions the use of Wegovy for reducing the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, and stroke in adults with cardiovascular disease who are obese or overweight. This marks a significa…

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Novo Nordisk achieves 74% growth surge, clinching fastest-growing pharma title

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No longer just a diabetes company, Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide-based therapies have fueled its rise to pharma powerhouse status. From 2021 to 2023, the company cemented its position as the fastest-growing Big Pharma player, reaching a 35% year-over-year growth rate in 2023 and 74% growth from 2020 to 2023 when measured in U.S. dollars. While Pfizer saw even more explosive growth (94%) in 2021 (see second graph below), the trajectory was not sustainable leading to a 41.69% drop in 2023.

The strong demand for Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide-based products Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy fueled the company’s rapid growth. In 2023, sales of obesity care products, including Wegovy, skyrocketed by 154% to DKK 41.6 billion ($6.0 billion). The 24% sales increase in the diabetes care segment, amounting to DKK 173.5 billion ($25.2 billion) in 2023, was heavily driven by the growth of GLP-1-based pr…

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Why Merck shelled out $30B+ on R&D in 2023

In 2023, Merck & Co. made a considerable investment in research and development, spending more than $30 billion. This figure represents more than double the company’s R&D spending ($13.5 billion) in 2022.

The closest competitor in terms of R&D investment was Roche Pharmaceuticals, with a 2023 R&D expenditure of roughly $14.7 billion. This sum is less than half of Merck’s spending. Next in line was Novartis, which spent approximately $13.7 billion on R&D. Next in line was Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, which spent about $12 billion.

In 2023, Merck’s revenue narrowly eclipsed that of Pfizer, which fell 41.7% from 2022 levels owing largely to collapsing demand for COVID-19 products.

In 2023, Merck invested roughly half of its revenue in R&D.

The chief drivers of Merck’s R&D spending included the following:

Prome…
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