Exscientia Announces Second Molecule Created Using AI From Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Collaboration to Enter Phase 1 Clinical Trial
13.5.2021 10:30:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Exscientia Ltd. (Headquarters: Oxford, UK; CEO: Andrew Hopkins) is pleased to acknowledge that Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd. (Head office: Osaka, Japan, Representative Director, President and CEO: Hiroshi Nomura) has announced that they will initiate a Phase 1 clinical study of DSP-0038 in the United States for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease psychosis.
DSP-0038 is the third molecule created using Exscientia’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to enter clinical trials. The two earlier compounds are DSP-1181, announced in 2020 together with Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Exscientia’s immuno-oncology agent, EXS-21546, announced earlier this year.
Joint research between Exscientia and Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma designed DSP-0038 to be a single small molecule that exhibits high potency as an antagonist for the 5-HT2A receptor and agonist for the 5-HT1A receptor, whilst selectively avoiding similar receptors and unwanted targets, such as the dopamine D2 receptor. Selective dual targeting is a major challenge for conventional drug discovery, and psychiatric indications also require exceptional selectivity to avoid off-target effects. The successful design of DSP-0038 demonstrates opportunities to design selective molecules with dual activity.
DSP-0038 will be assessed for improved antipsychotic effects associated with Alzheimer’s disease psychosis, as well as improvements in behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia which include agitation, aggression, anxiety, and depression.
Toru Kimura, Representative Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, said: "We have been impressed by the outstanding productivity of Exscientia's AI technologies. The combination of Exscientia’s AI with our company’s deep experience in monoamine GPCR drug discovery has now led to two molecules reaching our clinical pipeline from this collaboration.”
Andrew Hopkins, CEO of Exscientia, said: "This is further validation that our AI platform can turn complex biological challenges into high-quality clinical candidates quickly. To have what we believe to be the world’s first three clinical molecules created using AI arising from our own platform – two with Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma - is a wonderful achievement. We hope that through the creation of DSP-0038 improved treatments for Alzheimer’s disease psychosis will be realized."
About Exscientia
Exscientia is an AI-driven pharmatech company committed to discovering and designing the best possible medicines in the fastest and most effective manner. Exscientia is the first company to progress AI-designed small molecules into the clinical setting and repeatedly demonstrate the ability of AI to transform how drugs are created. Exscientia’s AI platform has now designed two drugs that are in Phase 1 human clinical trials.
Drug design is precision engineering at the molecular scale. Exscientia has built dedicated AI systems that efficiently learn from the widest range of data and consistently reapply enhanced knowledge through iterations of design. Because Exscientia’s AI platform learns more effectively and rapidly than human-led efforts alone, candidate molecules satisfying complex therapeutic requirements are created with revolutionary efficiency. Exscientia believes that designing better drugs, faster, will allow the best ideas of science to rapidly become the best medicines for patients.
Exscientia has offices in Oxford, Miami, Osaka and Dundee. For more information visit us on www.exscientia.ai or follow us on Twitter @exscientiaAI.
About Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd.
Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma defines its corporate mission as "To broadly contribute to society through value creation based on innovative research and development activities for the betterment of healthcare and fuller lives of people worldwide." By pouring all our efforts into the research and development of new drugs, we aim to realize our corporate mission and provide innovative and effective pharmaceutical
solutions to people not only in Japan but also around the world. Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma's goal is to create innovative pharmaceutical products in the focus research areas of Psychiatry & Neurology, Oncology and Regenerative Medicine/Cell Therapy. For further details, visit https://www.ds-pharma.com.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210513005059/en/
Contact information
Enquiries:
Edelman
Anitra Sprauten
P: +44 (0)7896 859386
Anitra.Sprauten@edelman.com
Stephanie Crisp
P: +44 (0)7583 003417
Stephanie.Crisp@edelman.com
For Exscientia
Mark Swindells: contact@exscientia.ai
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Investor Supporting Japan’s Entertainment Industry, Yoshihiro Shimamura, to Visit France Workshop to be Held During the Cannes Film Festival28.4.2026 05:00:00 EEST | Press release
Shimamura Yoshihiro Film Planning Inc. (Head Office: Osaka, Japan; CEO: Yoshihiro Shimamura), a company engaged in film production and investment, will host a workshop in France during this year’s Cannes Film Festival, as part of its commitment to further advancing the entertainment industry. The company invests in leading entertainment-related businesses in Japan and places strong emphasis on long-term value creation. It identifies the cultural and entertainment sectors as high-growth areas and is actively involved in international co-productions as a core part of its film production activities. As a recent investment, the company acquired 2,000,000 shares of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, Inc.—a major Japanese entertainment conglomerate known for producing content enjoyed across generations—and became a major shareholder (as of March 25, 2026). Through such investments, the company aims to support the global expansion of Japanese entertainment while exploring synergies with its own interna
Alsym Energy Announces Na-Series Battery Success Developed With Physics-Informed AI Platform27.4.2026 22:25:00 EEST | Press release
Alsym Energy, a pioneer in non-flammable, high-performance sodium-ion batteries, today announced details of the proprietary physics-informed AI platform used to develop the company’s recently launched Na-Series sodium-ion batteries. By integrating fundamental physics models with AI, autonomous testing and proprietary molecular diagnostics in a closed-loop system, Alsym is accelerating the design of safer, inexpensive, commercialized batteries through all phases of the development cycle. As global demand for electricity surges, the limitations of lithium-ion batteries have become increasingly apparent, particularly around safety and supply chain constraints. Lithium-ion chemistry presents inherent challenges, including flammability and reliance on constrained global supply chains—issues that become more acute in large-scale energy storage, where higher energy densities considerably increase fire risks, and growing demand across sectors further strains the supply chain and imperils energ
Backed by Investments Exceeding $1 Billion, PCI Pharma Services Announces Major Expansion of US Sterile Fill-Finish and Drug-Device Delivery Combination Capabilities27.4.2026 17:00:00 EEST | Press release
PCI Pharma Services (“PCI”) – a world-leading integrated global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) focused on innovative biologic and small molecule therapies – announced a series of major infrastructure investments that substantially deepen its sterile fill-finish and advanced drug delivery capabilities. As pharma manufacturers and their development partners increasingly prioritize US supply chain resilience, PCI’s latest investments come as part of a broader commitment exceeding $1 billion across the CDMO’s US and European operations, reinforcing its ability to provide seamless support for drug product development and manufacturing, clinical trial supply and drug-device combination assembly from clinical stages through commercial launch – all underpinned by global capacity, technical expertise, deep scientific knowledge, and an industry-leading quality and regulatory track record. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.
Pure Lithium Appoints Renowned Battery Expert Dr. Yuan Gao to Board of Directors27.4.2026 16:53:00 EEST | Press release
Pure Lithium Corporation, a vertically integrated lithium metal battery technology company, is pleased to announce that world-renowned inventor and battery expert Dr. Yuan Gao has joined the company’s Board of Directors. Dr. Gao has been an invaluable member of Pure Lithium’s Scientific Advisory Board since October of 2023. "We are thrilled to have Dr. Gao join our board as we focus on rapidly scaling our technology in the most capital efficient manner possible,” said Pure Lithium Founder, Chairman and CEO Emilie Bodoin. “Dr. Gao is a brilliant scientist who also has deep commercial expertise, a rare combination. He is also unique in the industry because his experience spans the entire battery materials value chain, including all of Pure Lithium’s verticals. His insights over the years have been critical in advancing our technology, and his experience as a director of public companies will strengthen our board.” Dr. Gao commented: “I am thrilled to join the board of Pure Lithium Corpor
Boomi To Unveil the Future Of Data Activation and AI-Driven Innovation at Boomi World 202627.4.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
Boomi, the data activation company, today announced Boomi World 2026, its premier annual user conference, taking place May 11 - 14, 2026 in Chicago, IL. The event will bring together customers, partners, and industry leaders from around the world to explore how data activation is transforming the enterprise and accelerating the path to AI-driven outcomes. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260427600340/en/ Boomi To Unveil the Future Of Data Activation and AI-Driven Innovation at Boomi World 2026 Boomi World 2026 will spotlight data activation — bringing data to life to power AI, analytics, and intelligent automation. Attendees will gain firsthand insights into how the Boomi Enterprise Platform enables businesses to unify data, streamline operations, and innovate faster in an increasingly agentic world. “Data is only valuable when it’s activated,” said Steve Lucas, Chairman and CEO, Boomi. “At Boomi World 2026, we
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom