SandboxAQ Launches Molecular Simulation Division

Sandbox AQ, an enterprise software-as-a-service company, announced the formal launch of its biopharma molecular simulation division, AQBioSim on June 22, 2023. According to a company press release, the division is working with companies like AstraZeneca, Sanofi, and the University of California, San Francisco (USCF) on treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other conditions.

“We are very interested in the work SandboxAQ is doing to revolutionize drug discovery and development via in-silico simulation of molecular interactions using [artificial intelligence] and quantum technologies,” said Paul Hudson, CEO, Sanofi, in the release.“SandboxAQ’s leapfrog technology could significantly impact both preclinical and clinical development of drugs, and we look forward to seeing how it could support us in delivering life-changing treatments to patients worldwide, faster.”

According to the release, the company’s molecular simulation division is designed to improve on existing methods via faster time-to-solution while still retaining accuracy. The technologies use AI-powered simulation to rapidly identify potential therapies for various conditions; for example, the company’s collaboration with the USCF used the proprietary Absolute Free Energy Perturbation software to generate thousands of predictions of molecular interactions. This was done to develop new compounds for use in potential therapies for neurodegenerative disorders.

“Neurodegenerative diseases are enormously complex and defy standard drug design,” said Stanley B. Prusiner, director, UCSF Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, in the release. “We need rational and structure-based design methods that can address the challenging diseases we face. Given the devastating nature of these diseases and the lack of effective therapies to treat them, techniques that accelerate new leads and reduce our discovery timelines are greatly needed.”

Source: SandboxAQ