Google DeepMind’s Isomorphic Labs Nears Human Trials for AI-Designed Drugs – SSBCrack News
Imagine a future where discovering a cure for cancer could start with the click of a button. That’s the vision behind Isomorphic Labs, a health-tech company spun out of Google DeepMind—and they’re now taking a major step toward that goal.
The company, led by Colin Murdoch (also Chief Business Officer at DeepMind), is preparing for its first human trials using drugs designed entirely with artificial intelligence. Speaking to Fortune, Murdoch shared that the company is now “very close” to beginning clinical testing after years of development.
“There are people in our London office right now, working hand-in-hand with AI to design cancer drugs,” Murdoch said. “The next big step is testing these in real people.”
The AI Power Behind the Mission
Isomorphic Labs was founded in 2021, inspired by DeepMind’s AlphaFold, a groundbreaking AI tool that can predict the structure of proteins—a vital part of drug design. AlphaFold didn’t just stop at identifying protein shapes. It evolved to simulate how proteins interact with things like DNA and potential drugs. This opened the door to faster, cheaper, and more accurate drug development.
“AlphaFold was the lightbulb moment,” Murdoch explained. “It showed us AI could completely change how we discover medicines.”
Big Pharma is On Board
Since its launch, Isomorphic has attracted serious attention. In 2024, it partnered with pharmaceutical giants Novartis and Eli Lilly, and by April 2025, it raised a whopping $600 million in its first-ever external funding round, led by Thrive Capital.
These partnerships help Isomorphic design its own in-house drug candidates in fields like oncology (cancer) and immunology (immune system diseases). The goal? Create promising new drugs that can be licensed out after successful early-stage trials.
Reinventing Drug Discovery
Right now, getting a single drug approved can cost billions and takes years—with only a 10% chance of success once human testing begins. Isomorphic wants to change that.
“We’re aiming to make drug development faster, cheaper, and far more likely to succeed,” said Murdoch.
The ultimate dream? To use AI tools like AlphaFold to one day press a button and instantly get a working drug blueprint for any disease.
What’s Next?
Human clinical trials are the crucial next step. Isomorphic is currently hiring more staff and ramping up operations to begin testing soon. If successful, this could mark the beginning of a whole new era in medicine—where AI isn’t just a tool but a full-fledged partner in curing diseases.
“We want to go from ‘here’s a disease’ to ‘here’s a cure’—all powered by AI,” Murdoch said.
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