TOKYO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Elix, Inc. (CEO: Shinya Yuki / HQ: Tokyo, hereinafter “Elix”) and SEEDSUPPLY Inc. (CEO: Naoki Tarui / HQ: Kanagawa, hereinafter “SEEDSUPPLY”) hereby announce the start of joint research.

SEEDSUPPLY (https: //www.seedsupply.co.jp/) proposes an agile drug discovery process for small molecules that uses binder selection technology as a proprietary compound screening method. This technology can perform compound screening of any protein or RNA, thereby providing drug discovery seeds for various drug discovery targets, including those for which biochemical activity measurement is challenging. In addition, a binding compound database built for specific drug discovery target classes will be used for target selection, improving the efficiency and success rate of drug discovery processes. Furthermore, the database presents the potential for wider application.

Elix (https://www.elix-inc.com/) is an AI drug discovery company with the mission of “Rethinking Drug Discovery.” To reduce the cost and time while increasing the success rate of the drug discovery pipeline, Elix is focusing on the use of machine learning in projects aimed at pharmaceutical companies, universities and research institutes. Elix has developed and released “Elix Discovery(TM),” the all-in-one platform for AI drug discovery, providing everything from models for property prediction and molecular design, to consulting and implementation support in one package (https: //www.elix-inc.com/news/newsrelease/1620/). In addition to currently providing drug discovery support, Elix is also considering future in-house drug discovery.

In this joint research project, SEEDSUPPLY will utilize Elix’s proprietary AI technology with the goal of dramatically increasing the efficiency of screening processes. Elix will incorporate SEEDSUPPLY’s wealth of data, particularly its data on key drug discovery targets such as membrane proteins, into the AI’s training pipeline, thereby advancing technology for in silico techniques to screen for compounds with superior properties.

Elix and SEEDSUPPLY aim to utilize their respective strengths to decrease the cost and time of small molecule drug discovery and address targets which have proven difficult for conventional drug discovery approaches.

Comments by Elix CEO Shinya Yuki
By combining the data acquired through SEEDSUPPLY’s proprietary technology and our proprietary AI models, we hope to find even more unique technological developments. We believe that this technology will enable great possibilities in screening for highly difficult targets at low cost within short times, and in efficiently searching expansive chemical spaces.

Comments by SEEDSUPPLY CEO Naoki Tarui
Our company’s binding compound database is of the highest quality, because all of its content has been measured using the same method. By combining it with Elix’s superior AI technology, we hope to create new developments in AI drug discovery technology.