GT Apeiron Therapeutics Launches with $27 Million Funding to Advance AI-Driven Oncology Drug Discovery

GT Apeiron Therapeutics, an AI-driven drug development company, was established in Shanghai today and secured $27 million in funding. This round of financing was provided by GT Healthcare Capital and related investors.

Led by a professional team with extensive experience in drug development, GT Apeiron leverages artificial intelligence to develop innovative drugs with breakthrough potential, significantly enhancing the efficiency of the entire new drug R&D process—from target selection and compound screening to the optimization of preclinical studies and clinical trials.

GT Apeiron Therapeutics has entered into a drug discovery collaboration agreement with Exscientia. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in the United Kingdom, Exscientia has developed an artificial intelligence platform that automates drug development and research. The compounds generated by its AI system integrate criteria for potency, selectivity, and pharmacokinetics. Its product pipeline includes small molecules with dual pharmacology and bispecific small molecules guided by high-content phenotypic data. Leveraging Exscientia’s advanced automated AI drug discovery platform and related emerging technologies, GT Apeiron Therapeutics aims to accelerate new drug development through novel R&D pathways, with a current research focus primarily on oncology.

Dr. Mingxi Li, Capital Partner at GT Healthcare and Director of GT Apeiron, stated, “Although the efficiency of new drug development has long been a challenge within the industry, we have observed positive trends, such as breakthroughs in biology, novel R&D pathways, and accelerated technological advancements. Apeiron will leverage these emerging technologies to significantly enhance drug development efficiency, thereby benefiting a broad patient population.”

Professor Andrew Hopkins, CEO of Exscientia, stated, “This is an exciting era for new drug development, driven by emerging research methodologies and novel commercialization pathways. Both have seen significant advancement in China, which has already become the world’s second-largest pharmaceutical market. We are delighted to partner with GT Apeiron Therapeutics and make our inaugural entry into the Chinese market. Leveraging our AI technology platform and GT Apeiron’s clinical development expertise, our collaboration will focus on developing new drugs for major unmet medical needs worldwide.”

References:

[1] GT Apeiron Therapeutics launched by GT Healthcare Capital Partners signs with Exscientia Retrieved on June 12 2019 from https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gt-apeiron-therapeutics-launched-by-gt-healthcare-capital-partners-signs-with-exscientia-300865022.html