How AI is speeding drug discovery in China

Insilico Medicine says it has cut the time needed to nominate some drug candidates to around one year by combining AI with laboratory research in China. According to CEO Alex Zhavoronkov, its fastest programme reached candidate nomination in nine months, compared with about four and a half years using conventional methods. The company uses generative AI to identify targets, design molecules, and prioritise compounds for lab testing. Researchers still need to synthesise and validate the compounds experimentally, and the reported timeline covers only early discovery stages, not clinical trials, manufacturing, or regulatory approval. Insilico said much of its testing and scaleup work happens in Shanghai, while AI research is also conducted in Montreal and Abu Dhabi. Zhavoronkov said China’s research infrastructure, costs, and review process help shorten development cycles, and the company is expanding its Shanghai operations. The article also notes that Insilico’s AIdesigned drug Rentosertib has entered Phase III testing in China for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The trial will enrol 320 participants across 47 centres and is expected to run for several years, showing that laterstage development still takes substantial time.