Dr. Jian Ma of XtalPi: AI Autonomous Lab Platform Hatches World-First Novel Drug and Redefines Matter Discovery

Reporter Lin Dianchi, Shenzhen, China, 21st Century Economic Report

On April 27, the Guangdong Artificial Intelligence Application Conference was held at the Shenzhen Futian Convention and Exhibition Center. Ma Jian, co-founder and CEO of XtalPi, attended the conference and delivered a keynote speech, sharing XtalPi's latest breakthroughs and industrial practices in AI-driven drug discovery.

He announced that SIGX2649, a globally first-in-class pan-TEAD inhibitor developed by Signet Therapeutics, a company incubated through XtalPi's AI-driven autonomous experimentation platform, has completed preclinical research. It is about to simultaneously submit Investigational New Drug (IND) applications to the regulatory authorities in both China and the United States. This achievement is not only a model of the deep integration of AI technology with the biopharmaceutical industry but also signifies that AI is transforming from an auxiliary tool into a core engine driving new drug development.

SIGX2649, as a pan-TEAD inhibitor targeting the core target of the Hippo pathway, shows great market potential in the field of solid tumor treatment. Compared with existing therapies, this drug exhibits stronger anti-tumor activity and lower nephrotoxicity, and has significant potential for combination therapy. Currently, there are no drugs targeting the same point on the market globally, and its successful development fills the gap in this field.

Ma Jian pointed out that the entire R&D process of this drug, from target discovery to the identification of candidate compounds, was deeply empowered by AI, achieving an unprecedented increase in R&D efficiency and success rates. This is not only a breakthrough for a new drug but also a milestone for AI technology in the biopharmaceutical field, transitioning from concept to industrial implementation. It demonstrates that AI is no longer just an auxiliary tool but a core engine driving new drug development.

AI has become a key driving force in the transformation of drug discovery. Data shows that the global penetration rate of AI-driven drug discovery has steadily increased from 9% in 2022 to 15% this year, with all leading pharmaceutical companies accelerating the development of their AI core capabilities. However, the core bottleneck to achieving truly AI-driven drug discovery is not algorithms, but high-quality, standardized, and scalable experimental data. The core competitive advantage of XtalPi lies in fundamentally solving the problem of "where the data comes from and whether the data is accurate."

To this end, XtalPi has independently developed laboratory automation.Robot, establishing a 7×24-hour unmanned intelligent experimental system with uninterrupted output, providing a solid and reliable data foundation for AI models.

Building on this foundation, the company has deeply integrated Multi-Agent systems, domain-specific large models, and automated robotics to create an AI-driven autonomous experimentation platform. The platform's Multi-Agent system functions like a team of virtual scientists powered by AI, capable of independently thinking, planning, and executing complex R&D tasks. Combined with a large AI model specialized in drug discovery, it achieves a fully autonomous closed-loop process from experimental design, execution, to data analysis. This self-iterating and optimizing R&D system is the core support that enables XtalPi to incubate first-in-class innovative drugs globally.

More excitingly, this AI-driven autonomous experimentation paradigm boasts strong versatility, with application boundaries extending far beyond new drug development.

Ma Jian stated that the platform's capabilities can extend to broader material science fields such as new materials, new energy, and advanced manufacturing. Whether it’s developing stronger new materials or more efficient batteries, XtalPi's platform can play a key role, which is the best interpretation of the theme of this conference, "Intelligent Connection of Thousands of Industries, Empowering Hundreds of Sectors."

Looking ahead, Ma Jian stated that XtalPi will firmly root itself in Shenzhen and focus on Guangdong. The company will fully leverage the policy advantages of Guangdong Province and the industrial cluster advantages of “AI + robotics” to help Guangdong build a global core area and main base for manufacturing, contributing XtalPi's strength to the development of new productive forces in Guangdong. XtalPi’s platform capabilities will empower more local enterprises, jointly promoting Guangdong to seize the opportunity and gain an advantageous position in the wave of AI-enabled real economy.