Elix, Inc., an AI drug discovery company (CEO: Shinya Yuki/Headquarters: Tokyo; hereafter referred to as “Elix”), and DeNA Life Science Co., Ltd. (President & CEO: Hiroshi Yoneyama/Headquarters: Tokyo; hereinafter referred to as “DLS”), a subsidiary of DeNA Co., Ltd. (President & CEO: Shingo Okamura/Headquarters: Tokyo), have signed a basic agreement for collaboration on drug discovery.

DLS (https://dena-ls.co.jp/ *Only in Japanese) is conducting various studies with research institutions and pharmaceutical companies through the genome research platform “MYCODE Research,” which is open to members of the individual genetic testing service “MYCODE” who have consented to participate in these studies. Additionally, DLS is utilizing the genetic research knowledge cultivated through “MYCODE Research” to develop drug discovery support projects using gene network analysis technology*.

Elix, an AI drug discovery company with the mission of “Rethinking Drug Discovery,” is engaged in business with pharmaceutical companies, universities, and research institutions, using machine learning to reduce the cost and time required for drug discovery, while improving the success rate. To realize this mission, Elix is developing the only all-in-one platform for AI drug discovery, “Elix Discovery™,” that provides everything from models for property prediction and molecular design, to AI consulting and implementation support in one package.

Through this basic agreement, both companies will combine their strengths to collaborate on a business that supports drug discovery research and development by a wide range of pharmaceutical companies in a comprehensive manner, including target discovery, drug repurposing, the structural design of compounds, and more.

Elix and DLS will use computational science, including AI and gene network analysis technologies, to reduce the time and cost of drug discovery research, and further improve the success rate.

*Gene network analysis technology
Rather than focusing on individual genes, this method uses networks based on relationships between genes to solve various problems. For example, the results derived from gene expression analysis can be reconstructed as a gene network to determine their biological significance and target discovery.

Reference Press Release: Agreement Concluded with Kyowa Kirin on Drug Discovery Research Using Gene Network Analysis Technology (May 26, 2021) *Only in Japanese