Canadian biotech company Cyclica has signed a multi-year and multi-project drug discovery partnership with the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) in oncology and related diseases.

The partners will undertake research efforts, which will span from polypharmacology profiling to novel compound design for diverse drug discovery programs. The collaboration will utilize the deep expertise of Genome Institute of Singapore in functional genomics, drug target discovery, and data analytics, and also the artificial intelligence-augmented Ligand Design and Ligand Express platform of Cyclica.

Dr. Tam Wai Leong – Group Leader of Precision Oncology at Genome Institute of Singapore said: “Applying AI-augmented approaches towards drug design is innovative and forward-looking. It has the potential to rapidly grow the arsenal of new drugs in our fight against diseases like cancer, especially in an era of genomic medicine where physicians and scientists can better define the underlying genetic and molecular drivers of cancers.”

Scientists at the Genome Institute of Singapore will carry out new compound design and off-target profiling to discover hits and after that will develop the lead compounds. The state-owned research institute will undertake functional analyses and testing of compounds generated from the drug discovery platform of Cyclica against gene targets of interest to the Genome Institute of Singapore.

According to the partners, the cross-border collaboration is said to present a unique opportunity to customize drug identification and development efforts in a holistic manner that will facilitate the advancement of precision medicine.

Dr. Verner De Biasi – VP, Global Head of Strategic Partnerships at Cyclica said: “The calibre of genomic research at GIS is world-class. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with many leading scientists at GIS to innovate novel therapeutics, based on genomic discoveries, for a wide range of diseases.

“This opportunity to make a meaningful contribution and impact to patients are common values we share with our partners at GIS.”

  artificial intelligence, Dr. Tam Wai Leong, Dr. Verner De Biasi, Drug discovery, Ligand Design, Ligand Express, Oncology