Algorae Pharmaceuticals (ASX: 1AI) has supercharged its bid to find and combine previously-approved drugs to create brand new medical treatments after launching its drug-predicting “AlgoraeOS” platform that uses AI.
The launch follows confirmation that the platform’s version 1.0 registered a higher correlation to major synergy measurements than the company’s earlier predictions. Management says its technology has been proven to a globally-recognised level and remarkably, the “Gadi” supercomputer – managed by Australia’s National Computational Infrastructure (NCI) – that powers the AlgoraeOS platform, has previously also been used for climate modelling and disaster prediction.
AlgoraeOS is a cutting-edge AI system that uses complex algorithms and machine-learning models to predict different drug combinations. By leveraging huge scientific and medical datasets, the system is designed to discover new drug groupings that could improve therapeutic outcomes, reduce side effects and potentially lead to novel drug applications.
The company’s intellectual property (IP) has been built around four proprietary neural networks in collaboration with experts from the AI Institute at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), alongside support from the CSIRO’s Data61.
Management says initial tests of its platform have shown a high level of accuracy via key synergy testing metrics known as Bliss, Loewe and HSA. By scoring between 0.91 and 0.98 in predictions compared to the actual data, the company has been spurred on to take the next steps, which will include lab testing and creating IP for potential drug combinations.
The launch of AlgoraeOS marks a significant step in our strategy to leverage AI for developing fixed-dose combination drugs. By improving existing therapies rather than investing in new molecular entities, we can enhance drug efficacy while compressing the timelines and costs
Algorae Pharmaceuticals Chairman David Hainsworth
Specifically, the company is focusing on the identification and development of fixed-dose combination (FDC) drugs, which combine two or more active pharmaceutical ingredients into a single dosage form. Such drugs can improve their treatment effectiveness and reduce side effects, which can offer significant benefits above single-use treatments.
The next stage for Algorae will involve reporting the computer predictions generated by AlgoraeOS, followed by pre-clinical testing with laboratory partners.
As part of its long-term vision, the company plans to continue developing its platform, with version 2.0 already in train. It hopes the updated version will further improve its already impressive prediction accuracy and expand the potential range of applications.
With version 1.0 in the bag, management’s next goal is to identify FDC drugs that it can quickly commercialise by itself, or through strategic partnerships and licensing deals with other pharmaceutical companies.
The application of the AlgoraeOS platform appears to reflect a broader trend in the pharmaceutical industry – to use AI to speed up the whole drug discovery processes. By combining its IP with a focus on FDCs, the company can now also access faster United States Food and Drug Administration pathways for approvals to reduce the traditional barriers associated with drug development.
The breakneck speed of drug discovery in the past decade has led to some remarkable new therapies for diseases that have long gone unmet. Algorae’s unique approach to further improving that process could quite possibly be just the tonic the sector needs in order to maintain that pace.
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