Isomorphic Labs, an artificial intelligence-driven drug discovery company backed by Google, now expects to begin its first clinical trials by the end of 2026, marking a delay from its earlier plans, founder and CEO Demis Hassabis said on Tuesday.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Hassabis said the revised timeline reflects the complexity of translating AI-designed drug candidates into human trials. Last year, he had indicated that Isomorphic aimed to have its first AI-developed medicines enter clinical testing by the end of 2025.
Founded in 2021, Isomorphic Labs was spun out of Google DeepMind, which Hassabis also leads. The company applies AI to accelerate drug discovery by improving how potential medicines are designed and evaluated.
Interest in AI-powered drug development has surged as pharmaceutical companies look to shorten research timelines and reduce costs. One of DeepMind’s most prominent achievements, AlphaFold, demonstrated AI’s potential by accurately predicting protein structures, a key challenge in biology.
Isomorphic raised $600 million in its first external funding round last year, led by Thrive Capital, underscoring strong investor confidence despite the longer path to clinical trials.