Insilico Medicine recently announced the completion of a $110 million Series E funding round, led by Hong Kong-based Value Partners, with participation from existing and new investors. This funding will be used to refine the company's AI models and support key clinical trials of its lead candidate drug in the field of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
The company's small molecule inhibitor, ISM001-055, was recently officially named rentosertib by the U.S. Adopted Names Council, marking another significant milestone for this research compound discovered through AI-generated structure and biological target identification. Late last year, rentosertib demonstrated positive results in a placebo-controlled Phase 2a clinical trial involving 71 Chinese patients, showing increased lung function with increasing dosage after three months, and improved quality of life scores as assessed by a chronic cough scale.
Simultaneously, Insilico has begun administering ISM6331, its wholly-owned molecular drug targeting mesothelioma and other solid tumors, to the first patients in China and the United States.
Image Source Note: Image generated by AI, licensed through Midjourney.
Insilico founder and CEO Alex Zhavoronkov stated: "This funding will accelerate the development of our drug discovery pipeline and AI platform, further solidifying Insilico's leadership position in this rapidly evolving field. We remain committed to extending healthy productive lifespans and are proud to be at the forefront of medical innovation."
Last month, Insilico unveiled its internal timeline for 22 AI-designed drug projects, showcasing the entire process from target identification to pre-clinical preparation for human studies. To date, the company has leveraged AI programs and robotic laboratories to synthesize and test potential drug-like molecules at an average speed of 13 months, with 10 assets already approved by the FDA for human studies.
In laboratory automation, Insilico this month unveiled its first humanoid laboratory robot prototype, named "Supervisor," which will learn skills from scientists. Zhavoronkov stated that the company aims to develop robust humanoid robotic systems for pharmaceutical, carbon capture, and sustainable development research, where these robots will collaborate with human scientists to perform routine tasks such as pipetting, using reagents, and operating laboratory equipment.
