Transforming Drug Discovery Using AI and Automation

The COVID-19 pandemic has unveiled a pressing issue – the need to develop effective drugs rapidly. But developing a new drug is easier said than done. Drug discovery begins with a hypothesis that the inhibition or activation of a target molecule or pathway results in a therapeutic effect. After target identification and validation, comes hit-to-lead and lead optimization steps. This involves identifying hit molecules with an affinity to the target and selecting the "best" molecule to take forward.