Business
Exscientia announces joint initiative re COVID-19
Exscientia announces joint initiative re COVID-19.
About this update from Frontier Ip Group Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n \n \n RNS Number : 3234I\n Frontier IP Group plc\n 01 April 2020\n \n \n \n \n RNS Reach\n \n \n AIM: FIPP\n \n \n 1 April 2020\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Frontier IP Group Plc\n \n \n (\"Frontier IP\" or the \"Group\")\n \n \n \n \n \n Portfolio news - Exscientia announces joint initiative to identify COVID-19 drugs with UK government-backed science facility Diamond Light Source and Scripps Research \n \n \n \n \n \n Frontier IP, a specialist in commercialising intellectual property, is pleased to note that portfolio company Exscientia (\"Exscientia\" or the \"Company\"), a world leader in AI-driven drug discovery, is to progress compounds that could rapidly become viable drugs for treating COVID-19 in a joint initiative with Diamond Light Source and Calibr, a division of Scripps Research (USA). \n \n \n \n \n \n Through the transatlantic alliance, Exscientia has gained access to Calibr's collection of 15,000 clinically-ready molecules, those which have already been shown to be safe for use in humans or have passed pre-clinical safety studies. \n \n \n \n \n \n Exscientia will start by rapidly screening the entire collection to identify existing compounds that could be repurposed to tackle COVID-19. In the longer term, the Company plans to use its AI to design even more effective compounds. \n \n \n \n \n \n Exscientia has been working with Diamond Light Source, the UK's national synchrotron facility funded by the government, and the University of Oxford since January 2020 on the project. Frontier IP holds a 3.3 per cent equity stake in the Company. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Frontier IP Chief Executive, Neil Crabb, said: \n \n \"\n \n Exscientia's aim is to use its AI to discover new, effective drugs quickly and efficiently, and we are optimistic the Company can make a significant contribution to the global fight against COVID-19. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \"Other of our portfolio companies are directly involved in support efforts to combat COVID-19. These include The Vaccine Group, which is developing animal vaccines to combat the disease and related coronaviruses to prevent their future spread from animals into humans, and Elute Intelligence Holdings, which is using its technology to support scientists needing to sift complex datasets to identify the most relevant rese...