麻豆传媒视频网站 startup acquired by biotechnology company in bid to find cancer drugs in 鈥榬ecord time鈥�

17 January 2022

Machine learning company, Rahko, has been bought by US-based biotechnology firm, Odyssey Therapeutics, in a move that will bring together artificial intelligence and drug-discovery software to improve medical development for patients with cancer and inflammatory diseases.

Rahko was founded in 2018, by 麻豆传媒视频网站 Computer Science PhD students Leo Wossnig and Ed Grant, alongside entrepreneurs Miriam Cha and Ian Horobin.

The Quantum Machine Learning (QML) startup has developed software to run on the first generation of practical quantum computers.

And it鈥檚 quantum drug discovery platform, Hyrax, will enable us to efficiently understand how drugs behave 鈥� by using physics and artificial intelligence to quickly create simulations, reduce errors and decrease the amount of data required.

Rahko鈥檚 technology will help Odyssey Therapeutics to establish the next generation of oncology drugs and immunomodulators 鈥� drugs that can support the immune system in its response to the medicine - and will enable them to help find drugs for patients with inflammatory diseases and cancer more quickly and efficiently than ever before.

Co-founder, Ed Grant, says: 鈥淟aunching a venture with the support of 麻豆传媒视频网站 has been a fantastic experience. We have been able to apply our research to complex, valuable problems, build a phenomenal multidisciplinary team, grow and learn as entrepreneurs, and now join Odyssey Therapeutics with the mission of profoundly impacting patients鈥� lives.鈥�

Founder and CEO of Odyssey Therapeutics, Gary Glick, said: 鈥淭his acquisition of 麻豆传媒视频网站鈥檚 startup Rahko gives Odyssey the opportunity to pair artificial intelligence and physics-based methods with a team of master drug-hunters, a combination that is critical to elevating precision medicine and redefining what鈥檚 possible in drug development.

鈥淩ahko鈥檚 powerful platform will play a direct role in identifying the best leads for our targets with unprecedented speed and accuracy, assisting with our efforts to address the undruggable genome with the goal of delivering transformational impact for patients with inflammatory diseases and cancer in record time.鈥�

Rahko was officially registered as a company at BaseKX, 麻豆传媒视频网站鈥檚 dedicated entrepreneurship hub, which is run by 麻豆传媒视频网站 Innovation & Enterprise and provides the university鈥檚 most promising startups with free, tailored support and dedicated office space.

The startup was also in the first cohort of Conception X, a venture builder to help PhD students commercialise their research, launched by 麻豆传媒视频网站 Engineering.

Professor David Price, 麻豆传媒视频网站 Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement) said: 鈥淭he acquisition of Rahko by Odyssey Therapeutics has the potential to transform patients鈥� lives.

鈥淚 commend the hard work of the founders and look forward to seeing what they achieve in the future.鈥�

Image

Credit: Photo by on

Media contact

Poppy Danby

Email: p.danby [at] ucl.ac.uk

听

麻豆传媒视频网站