The discovery of lead compounds for classical druggable targets has become increasingly efficient; however, the development of therapeutics targeting “undruggable” targets continues to face significant hurdles and unmet needs. One of the key challenges in the hit-finding stage is the difficulty in identifying initial hits and obtaining seed compounds that can serve as viable starting points for lead optimization.

Another challenge is the limited variation among hit compounds, which is a major reason for a failure to develop hit compounds to lead compounds. These issues highlight the need for innovative approaches and technologies to overcome current limitations in drug discovery for “undruggable” targets.

Axcelead has closed this gap by tightly integrating AI-driven in silico models with the high-fidelity wet-lab screening platform we inherited from global pharmaceutical companies. The result is a true lab-in-the-loop early discovery ecosystem that expands high-throughput screening (HTS) to the frontier of “undruggable” targets.

In this webinar, we will introduce a screening platform that has succeeded in generating hits in over 90 % of projects, centered on an original 1.2+-million-compound library inherited from pharmaceutical companies, as well as a high-precision AI model built on a proprietary AI foundation model established from an inherited large-scale in vitro database. Through a real-world case study, you will see how the close integration of AI-driven virtual screening and rapid wet-lab validation uncovers novel chemotypes for difficult targets in a fraction of the usual cycle time.

Key takeaways

• How to discover hits against "undruggable" targets using a proven AI-wet-lab integrated platform with over 90% project success rate
• Insider look at Axcelead’s 1.2+-million-compound library, 60% of which is unique and synthesized in-house
• Learn how a proprietary AI model—trained on a vast, pharma-derived in vitro assay database—enhances virtual screening precision
• See a real-world case study of how lab-in-the-loop screening uncovers novel chemotypes faster and more efficiently than traditional approaches
• Understand how integrated hit expansion can accelerate your drug discovery workflow and unlock new chemical space

Speakers:

Akito Hata
Head of Screening Business Unit and Digital Unit
Axcelead Drug Discovery Partners, Inc.

Speakers:

Hiroshi Kajino
Principal AI Scientist, Digital Unit
Axcelead Drug Discovery Partners, Inc.