Exscientia Enters $70M Collaboration to Develop Antiviral Therapeutics Against Coronavirus and Other Viruses With Pandemic Potential
Exscientia, an AI-driven pharmatech company with a mission to radically improve how drugs are discovered, today announced a four-year collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a non-profit focused on fighting global poverty, disease, and inequity, to develop small molecule therapeutics that tackle the current coronavirus pandemic and help prepare for future pandemics. The collaboration will initially focus on developing broad-spectrum coronavirus agents (e.g., SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, MERS), including accelerating Exscientia’s lead programme, which targets the main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. Subsequently, the collaboration will expand to develop therapeutics for influenza and Paramyxoviridae (e.g., Nipah), with the potential to develop additional programmes as identified by the joint team.
Exscientia’s AI-driven platform enables scientific concepts to be rapidly translated into precision-designed therapeutic candidates, with a goal of increasing probability of success and an accelerated path to the patient.
“The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic underscores the urgency to develop safe and effective broad-spectrum drugs to expand our armoury against viruses and their variants. We need to fight today’s pandemic but also ensure we are prepared with new drugs to combat viruses with future pandemic potential. We are honoured to work alongside the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to advance this mission by ensuring accessibility and affordability of these therapeutics globally,” commented Andrew Hopkins, Chief Executive Officer of Exscientia. “We believe that our AI-driven platform can accelerate the creation of better, more effective therapeutics that can address some of the world’s most critical and emerging health risks.”
"Small molecule therapeutics could provide a superior approach to guard global health," said Denise Barrault, Director of Portfolio Management at Exscientia. "Certain targets are prevalent across families of viruses, meaning that potent therapeutics could be broadly effective across multiple virus families. Further, this collaboration will focus on evaluating protein targets that are evolutionarily conserved and are less likely to develop resistance.”
The Gates Foundation’s programme-related investment in Exscientia was made through its Strategic Investment Fund (SIF), a team that uses a suite of financial tools to address market failures and incentivise private enterprise to develop affordable and accessible products and services for low-income populations. SIF investments are intended to further the Gates Foundation’s programmatic goals, not to generate financial returns. If any profit is generated by an investment, it will be used solely for charitable purposes through Gates Foundation philanthropic programmes.
Under the terms of the agreement, Exscientia will receive a $35 million equity investment from the SIF, with the potential for additional grant funding to help advance development candidates through commercialisation. The Gates Foundation’s programme-related investment is subject to certain closing conditions being satisfied. As a global leader in pandemic preparedness, the Gates Foundation will also contribute its extensive expertise in funding the design, development, and distribution of antiviral drugs. Exscientia will lead the initial antiviral projects and apply its platform technology to research, discover, and develop up to five Phase 1-ready small molecule therapeutics for future pandemic preparedness. Exscientia will provide $35 million in matching contributions, through operations and funding for third party activities. Exscientia maintains worldwide rights to all developed products with a commitment to make the antiviral products affordable and accessible to people in developing countries.
In July, Exscientia received a grant from the Gates Foundation to expedite the optimisation of a new class of COVID-19 therapeutics created using its AI drug design platform, focused on a novel class of inhibitors targeting the SARS-CoV-2’s main protease enzyme, Mpro, the causative agent of COVID-19. This work will continue under the collaboration announced today. Additionally, in 2020, the foundation awarded a $4.2 million grant to Exscientia to identify new innovative treatments for malaria and tuberculosis – two of the world’s leading infectious disease killers – as well as new medicines for non-hormonal contraception.
About Exscientia
Exscientia is an AI-driven pharmatech company committed to discovering, designing, and developing the best possible drugs 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 drug candidates are created. Exscientia’s AI platform has now designed three 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, Vienna, Dundee, Miami and Osaka. For more information visit us at https://www.exscientia.ai or follow us on Twitter @exscientiaAI.
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/20210908005481/en/
Contact information
Exscientia Enquiries:
Edelman PR (UK)
Nathan Field
P: +44 (0)7866 411198
Nathan.Field@edelman.com
Edelman PR (US)
Amanda Lazaro
Amanda.Lazaro@edelman.com
Exscientia
Amanda Galgay
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
SunRock Biopharma and Chime Biologics Announce Strategic Collaboration to Advance Development of Anti-CCR9 Antibody SRB520.10.2025 12:00:00 EEST | Press release
SunRock Biopharma, a biotechnology company focused on developing next-generation therapeutic antibodies, and Chime Biologics, a global leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), today announced a strategic collaboration for the development of SRB5, a novel anti-CCR9 monoclonal antibody targeting inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with potential expansion into other immune-mediated inflammatory indications. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251019831972/en/ The scientific team of SunRock Biopharma. SRB5 is a humanized monoclonal antibody with enhanced ADCC properties, designed to selectively deplete CCR9+ cells involved in chronic intestinal inflammation. It is the latest advancement in SunRock’s anti-CCR9 platform and represents a significant advance in a selective therapeutic approach for treating diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Through this partnership, SunRock
New Needle-Free Treatment Option for Life-Threatening Anaphylaxis, EUR neffy ® , Now Available in the UK20.10.2025 11:01:00 EEST | Press release
For decades, traditional adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) have been the only available treatment for anaphylaxis—a life-threatening allergic reaction.1,2 Yet from today, the UK’s first needle-free emergency anaphylaxis treatment, the EURneffy® nasal adrenaline spray, is available on prescription.3 This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251020480135/en/ EURneffy® 2 mg nasal spray offers a simple-to-use,3,4 pocket-sized alternative to traditional AAIs, with the potential to transform the lives of those with severe allergies in the UK. It is designed to be portable and ready-to-use in emergencies,3 offering a new alternative to traditional AAIs, including for those who struggle with needles or need a more convenient option they can rely on. EURneffy® also has a longer shelf life and can withstand temperature changes better than traditional AAIs,3,5 meaning fewer trips to the GP for a new prescription. Simon Williams, Ch
Leading Global Businesses Unite to Launch Carbon Measures20.10.2025 11:00:00 EEST | Press release
Carbon Measures, a new global coalition representing major businesses from diverse industries and geographies, launched today to establish a more accurate carbon accounting framework and drive market-based solutions to reduce emissions at the lowest cost. The coalition’s work will leverage sound science and the principles of financial accounting to help enable a ledger-based carbon accounting framework that is substantially more accurate, eliminates double counting and addresses current information gaps. By better tracking emissions through the global economy, this new framework will help businesses differentiate their products and governments make more informed policy decisions. Carbon Measures is calling for new policy that unlocks innovation, competition and the power of the market. Global carbon emissions are rising and will continue to increase unless effective, efficient and pragmatic policies are implemented. Product-level carbon intensity standards, based on verifiable data inf
Valeo Foods Group Recognised for Sustainability Leadership with EcoVadis Platinum Medal20.10.2025 10:00:00 EEST | Press release
Valeo Foods Group, one of Europe's leading producers of quality sweets, treats and snacks has been awarded a Platinum Medal, the highest recognition level, in the EcoVadis sustainability assessment. Valeo Foods now ranks among the top one percent of companies evaluated. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251020547491/en/ Valeo Foods Group recognised for sustainability leadership with EcoVadis Platinum Medal. Ronald Kers, Valeo Foods Group CEO said “Achieving EcoVadis Platinum rating is a proud moment for our business. It reflects the dedication of our people and our determination to integrate sustainability into everything we do – from how we source and produce, to how we support communities and protect the planet.” Dr Grainne O’Halloran, Head of Sustainability at Valeo Foods added: “We are incredibly proud to have achieved EcoVadis Platinum Medal this year. Our increased score reflects our ongoing commitment to
Lazard Appoints Edouard Panié as Managing Director and Co-Head of European Financial Sponsors Coverage20.10.2025 09:00:00 EEST | Press release
Lazard, Inc. (NYSE: LAZ) today announced the appointment of Edouard Panié as Managing Director and Co-Head of the European Financial Sponsors Coverage. He will report to Klaus H. Hessberger, Global Co-Head and Head of Europe for Lazard’s Financial Sponsors Group, to further strengthen the firm’s presence and partnerships with financial sponsors across the region. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251019307537/en/ Edouard Panié Mr. Panié joins from Goldman Sachs, where he was a Managing Director for nearly two decades, advising on more than 60 landmark M&A, debt, and equity transactions for leading alternative asset managers in private equity, growth equity, and infrastructure, as well as entrepreneurs, families, and corporates. “Private capital is playing an increasingly pivotal role in shaping industries and driving growth. Edouard’s extensive experience and relationships will strengthen Lazard’s ability to pro
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