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Founded in 2016, Iktos is one of a handful of firms that saw the early potential of AI in drug discovery. “It was kind of a revolution in our minds, saying that maybe you can use AI to optimise molecules,” explains Nicolas Do Huu, co-founder and CTO of Iktos.
Bringing a new drug to market typically takes 10–15 years and costs an estimated US$2.5 billion when accounting for both successful and failed programs.
The discovery phase alone can take 4–5 years and cost over $100 million before clinical trials even begin. The firm is on a mission to reduce this timeline, enabling faster patient access to life-saving treatments.
“Once you have an idea of what you want to treat, we are here to do good chemistry and provide a drug candidate. The process of medicinal chemistry can be reduced from five years to two or three years depending on the project,” says Do Huu.
So far, the firm has partnered with more than 60 pharma companies, including Merck and Pfizer, and has recently signed a strategic collaboration deal with Servier, with potential total value over €1 billion. In parallel, Iktos is advancing Iktos is advancing its own pipeline of drug candidates across multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology, obesity, and autoimmune diseases.
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