Andrew Hopkins is the Founder and Chief Executive of Exscientia plc, where he has pioneered the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to design new medicines. Hopkins led the teams that discovered the first drugs to enter human clinical trials which were designed with the extensive use of machine learning and AI generative methods. For its end-to-end AI-driven precision medicine platform, Exscientia won the Prix Galien USA for Digital Health in 2022 and the Prix Galien UK in the same category in 2023.
As the founder and CEO of Exscientia plc, Andrew Hopkins has led the way in developing novel medications through the application of AI and machine learning.
Hopkins oversaw the teams that found the first medications to go through human clinical trials, which were created using a lot of machine learning and artificial intelligence generating techniques. Exscientia received the Prix Galien USA for Digital Health in 2022 and the Prix Galien UK in the same category for their end-to-end AI-driven precision medicine platform.
2023
Today, Exscientia plc and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, launched a new partnership centered on the search for innovative small molecule therapeutic candidates in the fields of immunology, neuroinflammation, and cancer. The multi-year partnership will make use of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany’s clinical development skills, worldwide reach, and disease knowledge in cancer and neuroinflammation, as well as Exscientia’s AI-driven precision medication design and discovery capabilities.
The partnership’s initial emphasis will be on three possible first-in-class or best-in-class objectives. Through their partnership, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, and Exscientia are able to discover new targets in immunology, cancer, and other diseases that have been jointly agreed upon. Should Exscientia uncover other targets for the agreement, the firm would be responsible for target validation in addition to drug design and eligible for further discovery milestones.
According to the terms of the agreement, Exscientia will get $20 million from Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, as an upfront cash payment. If all milestones for the three initial programs are met, Exscientia will also be eligible for milestone payments of up to $674 million in the aggregate for development, sales, and regulatory work. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany will pay Exscientia tiered royalties on product sales ranging from mid-single-digits to low-double-digits if the company commercializes a therapy from one of the collaboration’s early objectives. The $20 million upfront cash payment is anticipated to be recognized as revenue during the course of the agreement and appear in Exscientia’s second-half 2023 results as cash inflows from collaborations.
Pharmaceutical companies like Amgen, Bayer, and Novartis are using AI to accelerate patient recruitment for clinical trials and reduce testing costs. AI systems scan extensive healthcare data to identify trial candidates, potentially halving the time needed to enroll patients. This approach has saved millions of dollars in drug development. Microsoft’s DeepSpeed4Science initiative aims to apply deep learning in natural sciences, including drug development and renewable energy. Nvidia’s venture capital arm, NVentures, supports startups advancing drug discovery with generative AI, such as Generate:Biomedicines, which uses machine learning to create clinical protein complexes and enzymes.
Latest Social posts of Andrew Hopkins
Don’t miss Ben’s poster if you’re at the #EMBOComp3D workshop this week, discussing how Exscientia is leveraging structural automation to deliver better medicines, faster. If you’re not attending, you can still download Ben’s poster from our website here: https://t.co/3JOAVo1pqJhttps://t.co/OLqAQFGwPz
We’re proud to announce that we’ve been awarded an @open_phil Pandemic Antiviral Discovery (PAD) grant to explore new therapeutic approaches for pandemic influenza, researching the activation of the interferon response against influenza and COVID-19. https://t.co/oahScwe8eI
