Google’s Isomorphic Labs Raises $600 Million to Accelerate Drug Discovery
A Breakthrough in Mimicking Human Biology
Over the last 12 months, Google’s efforts to use artificial intelligence to accelerate drug design have achieved breakthroughs in mimicking human biology and won its top scientists the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
A New Chapter for Isomorphic Labs
Now, Isomorphic Labs, the division within the software giant meant to develop and commercialize the technology, is taking another big step: raising money from an outside investor.
A $600 Million Investment
Isomorphic plans to announce on Monday that it has raised $600 million, led by Thrive Capital, the venture capital firm that has bet big on A.I. companies including OpenAI. GV, Google’s venture capital arm, and Alphabet, Google’s parent company, also invested.
The Ambition of Isomorphic
The announcement underscores Google’s ambitions for Isomorphic, which was spun out of the company’s DeepMind lab to focus on drug discovery. It is built on software that DeepMind, a central intelligence lab in London, has developed. That includes AlphaFold, which can predict the structure of millions of proteins and more.
The Promise of AlphaFold
AlphaFold, which now in its third iteration can predict the complex behavior of DNA and RNA, has promised to slash the development time of new drugs. Such is its promise that Demis Hassabis, a co-founder of Isomorphic and DeepMind, and John M. Jumper, a DeepMind researcher, shared half of the Nobel in chemistry last year.
The Goal of Isomorphic
The goal, according to Mr. Hassabis, is to eventually conduct most of the drug discovery process via computers, rather than traditional labs that require biological materials, strict safety requirements — and lots of time.
The Mission of Isomorphic
"Our mission, one day, is to solve all disease" with A.I., Mr. Hassabis said in an interview.
Research Partnerships
Isomorphic is researching potential treatments, including those focused on cancer and immune disorders. Last year, it signed research partnerships with two major drug makers, Eli Lilly and Novartis, that could yield billions in payouts via promising drugs breakthroughs.
The Future of Isomorphic
The additional money will help Isomorphic expand its stable of research models like Alphafold, as well as recruit top talent across scientific disciplines.
Conclusion
Isomorphic’s $600 million fundraising is a major bet on the company’s potential to revolutionize the drug discovery process. With this investment, Isomorphic is poised to become a major player in the life sciences industry, and its ambition to "solve all disease" with A.I. may not be far-fetched.
FAQs
Q: What is Isomorphic Labs?
A: Isomorphic Labs is a division within Google’s software giant, focused on developing and commercializing technology to accelerate drug discovery.
Q: What is AlphaFold?
A: AlphaFold is a software developed by DeepMind, a central intelligence lab in London, which can predict the structure of millions of proteins and more.
Q: What is the goal of Isomorphic Labs?
A: The goal of Isomorphic Labs is to eventually conduct most of the drug discovery process via computers, rather than traditional labs that require biological materials, strict safety requirements — and lots of time.
Q: What is the mission of Isomorphic Labs?
A: The mission of Isomorphic Labs is to solve all disease with A.I.
Q: What is the future of Isomorphic Labs?
A: The future of Isomorphic Labs is to become a major player in the life sciences industry, and its ambition to "solve all disease" with A.I. may not be far-fetched.
