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Isomorphic Labs raises $2.1bn for its AI drug-design engine
Alphabet's DeepMind spin-out Isomorphic Labs raised $2.1 billion led by Thrive Capital, with Alphabet, GV, MGX, Temasek, CapitalG and the UK Sovereign AI Fund, to scale its IsoDDE drug-design engine and pipeline. CEO Demis Hassabis had said in January that first clinical trials were now expected by end-2026, a year later than his earlier target.
Why it matters
It is among the largest bets yet that AI can shorten drug discovery, though the company still has no drug in human trials.
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Connections our researchers recorded
- DevelopmentInsilico doses first patients in Phase III trial of AI-discovered drug rentosertib10 Sep 2026 · Research · CNContrasts with: Insilico reached Phase III while Isomorphic has yet to start human trials
What led here
Earlier developments on the same thread
- DevelopmentGoogle unveils Gemini-based 'AI co-scientist' with lab-validated hypotheses19 Feb 2025 · Research · US, GB
What happened next
Later developments on the same thread
- DevelopmentDeepMind releases AlphaGenome Atlas scoring all 9bn single-letter human DNA changes8 Sep 2026 · Launch · GB, US
- DevelopmentGoogle DeepMind publishes SynthID Bio watermarking for AI-designed proteins in Nature30 Sep 2026 · Research · GB, US
Same story elsewhere
What other countries and bodies did on this
- DevelopmentMIT team uses generative AI to design new antibiotics active against gonorrhoea and MRSA14 Aug 2025 · Research · US
- DevelopmentAnthropic secures multiple gigawatts of Google TPU capacity with Broadcom from 20276 Apr 2026 · Deal · US
- DevelopmentFDA and EMA issue ten joint principles for AI in drug development14 Jan 2026 · Policy · US, EU
- DevelopmentAnthropic says Claude agents found a new CRISPR-like enzyme system in phage DNA23 Sep 2026 · Research · US
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