Bayer and Excientia will explore artificial intelligence in drug discovery

collaboration between Bayer and UK-based Exscientia will accelerate the discovery of small molecule drugs, with a focus on cardiovascular disease and oncology.The companies announced that they will use artificial intelligence (AI) to further develop candidates for Bayer's three projects in the field of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and oncology.Under the terms of the deal, Excientia will begin three projects, both of which have agreed on targets and are eligible for funding of up to 203 million pounds, including "advance and research payments, short-term and clinical milestones.""We are driving the digital transformation of research and development because we believe that digital technologies such as artificial intelligence can simplify and accelerate the discovery and development of new drugs for patients," said Dr. Joerg Moeller, executive committee member of Bayer AG's pharmaceutical division.He continued: "The partnership with Excientia is expected to help us reach project milestones earlier, while accelerating the timeline by more accurately identifying the right drug targets and potential customer structures." As partpartnership, Excientia will use its Center Chemist AI drug discovery platform, including its "evolutionary computing" and deep learning algorithms, to identify and optimize new drug candidates. （cyy123.com）