AI was used to design blood cancer drug candidates; the company says its method finds candidates far faster than usual
Insilico Medicine’s Abu Dhabi team used the company’s generative AI platform Chemistry42 to design PROTAC molecules that destroy BTK, a protein that helps blood cancer cells grow. Aimed at chronic lymphocytic leukemia and mantle cell lymphoma, ISM-PR25 and ISM-PR44 degraded BTK at picomolar levels in malignant B cells and were orally available in mice. The work was published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. Insilico says its AI pipeline selects candidates in 12 to 18 months, versus 2.5 to 4 years with traditional methods. But these are still research-stage lead compounds; human trials could be years away.
Sources
- Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, “Discovery of Highly Potent and Selective, Orally Bioavailable BTK-Targeting PROTACs Featuring Novel CRBN-Binding Warheads”, (doi.org)
- Insilico Medicine, “Insilico Medicine Strengthens Its Middle East Presence with potential Blood Cancer treatment, generated by AI, first of its kind in the UAE”, (insilico.com)
- The National, “UAE scientists harness AI to discover potential blood cancer drug”, (thenationalnews.com)
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This story was posted on Instagram by @jarrus.tech on Oct. 6, 2026.
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