OXFORD, U.K.—Arctoris created what it says was the first fully automated drug discovery platform, and now it has signed a memorandum (MoU) of understanding with listed Korean company Syntekabio Inc. to collaborate on drug discovery efforts. The first project under the agreement sees the two companies work together to assess small-molecule therapeutics for COVID-19.

According to the companies, the MoU brings together two highly complementary technologies: Syntekabio is a leading artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery company that uses machine learning and supercomputing to discover new drugs, while Arctoris’ platform enables rapid generation of high-quality drug discovery data. Syntekabio will use Arctoris’ technology platform for biochemical and cell-based experiments including target-based assays and viability assessments. Available services from Arctoris include dataset generation for AI model training and validation, hit-to-lead, lead optimization and candidate selection.

“This partnership highlights the utility and capability of the Arctoris approach to drug discovery,” said Dr. Martin-Immanuel Bittner, CEO of Arctoris. “Thanks to our robotic technology platform, we can significantly accelerate the identification of candidates for COVID-19 treatment. By combining the novel technologies developed by Arctoris and Syntekabio, we aim to develop potential new treatments faster—for COVID-19 and beyond.”

The MoU with Syntekabio is the latest in a series of agreements formed by Arctoris this year, which include publicly announced partnerships with Insilico Medicine and Molecule.

Added Dr. Sunil Youn, director of business development of Syntekabio: “Syntekabio is a leader in AI-driven drug discovery. We are pleased to collaborate with Arctoris, enabling us to rapidly validate our in-silico predictions. Together, we can reach the next drug discovery milestones faster.”