Elix & Tohoku University partner to use AI in drug discovery

Elix and the Graduate School of Life Sciences at Tohoku University have entered into a joint research agreement to advance the use of artificial intelligence in drug discovery, aiming to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance therapeutic possibilities.

The pharmaceutical industry faces significant challenges in discovering promising drug compounds, with traditional methods often resulting in high costs, lengthy development times, and low success rates. In response, research and development groups are increasingly exploring AI-based approaches in molecular design and property prediction, aiming to refine the identification and synthesis of potential drug candidates.

Elix, headquartered in Tokyo, focuses on the application of AI and machine learning for drug discovery in collaboration with various stakeholders, including pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, and biotech startups. Its business model is structured around two areas: offering a proprietary drug discovery platform named Elix DiscoveryTM, and engaging in collaborative projects with research partners centred on its latest AI methodologies and domain expertise.

The Elix DiscoveryTM platform provides a graphical user interface that enables researchers to generate and optimise predictive models for compound profiles rapidly. With tools supporting both ligand-based and structure-based drug design, and the capability to propose novel molecular structures, the platform allows for a wide exploration of drug candidates that may not have been considered using conventional techniques.

Beyond this technology, Elix has been involved in joint research projects with both biotech ventures and academic communities, combining AI applications with pharmaceutical research expertise to identify new candidate compounds.

Tohoku University's Graduate School of Life Sciences is home to the Labouratory of Bioactive Molecules, which conducts research into small-molecule drug discovery and chemical biology. This group is particularly engaged in the development of small-molecular PROTACs (proteolysis targeting chimeras) and targeted protein degradation (TPD) strategies. Through these, the research aims to selectively degrade proteins inside cells, including so-called "undruggable" proteins that have posed significant barriers to treatment development.

The new collaboration will see Elix work closely with Professor Minoru Ishikawa, a specialist in TPD research at Tohoku University, to integrate predictive AI technologies and advanced molecular generation with the laboratory's proprietary capabilities. The focus will be on compounds that impact cellular homeostasis, with the dual goals of enhancing scientific understanding of biological mechanisms and expanding potential therapeutic approaches for complex diseases.

"TPD research has been attracting global attention, and we have been seeking ways to shorten the time required to identify small-molecule ligands for relevant proteins. Elix's AI drug discovery technology is highly attractive as a means to achieve this, and I am delighted to collaborate with them. Through this joint research, we will accelerate ligand discovery for TPD, advance TPD research together with Elix, and work toward proposing new therapeutic strategies for intractable diseases," said Professor Minoru Ishikawa.

Shinya Yuki, Chief Executive Officer of Elix, also commented on the significance of the partnership and the potential for combining the firm's strengths with those of Tohoku University:

"We are very pleased to accelerate the creation of novel compounds for difficult-to-target proteins by combining Elix's AI drug discovery technologies with the unique methods and deep expertise of Professor Ishikawa, a leader in TPD research. By applying our strength in structure generation AI to TPD, a new modality, we aim to open new frontiers in drug discovery research that could not be achieved by Elix alone, in partnership with Tohoku University."

The compounds generated through this collaborative effort are anticipated to provide valuable insights for biological research and may contribute to expanding options for next-generation therapies targeting disease-specific challenges. Both parties will bring their established areas of expertise to the partnership, with Elix providing technological resources and Tohoku University offering specialised knowledge in small-molecule and protein degradation research.

The agreement is the latest in a series of collaborations by Elix with both industry and academia. Previous work included a partnership with PRISM BioLab focused on accelerating AI-driven drug discovery for protein-protein interaction targets.

The Elix and Tohoku University partnership underscores the ongoing interest in integrating machine learning and artificial intelligence into life sciences research to address some of the most persistent challenges in drug development.