UAE researchers use AI to identify new drug class for blood cancer treatment

Nine out of ten drugs that reach human clinical trials never make it to market. That figure has barely moved in decades. But a team of scientists working out of Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, believes artificial intelligence can change the math, and they are already producing results.

What's the news?

Researchers at Insilico Medicine, a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Abu Dhabi's Masdar City, have used AI to identify a new class of molecules that could be used to treat blood cancers, including certain leukaemias and lymphomas. The findings have been published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

The molecules are types of PROTACs, a relatively new category of drug that works differently from conventional treatments. Standard drugs typically bind temporarily to a target protein to block its activity. PROTACs go further. They attach to the target protein and drag it to the cell's own disposal system, destroying it entirely. In this case, the target is Bruton's tyrosine kinase, a protein that helps malignant blood cancer cells grow and spread.

Insilico Medicine calls these molecules "lead compounds," meaning they show promise but have not yet completed the tests required before clinical trials can begin. Still, their identification is a meaningful step. The company used two internal AI platforms in the process: PandaOmics, which helps identify disease-related target proteins, and Chemistry42, which designs molecules with the right shape to bind to those targets.

"Traditionally, you would have to design your own molecules, try to fit this with your own designs, but with the help of artificial intelligence, it can make these designs for you," said Ahmad Alghaith, an organic chemist at Insilico Medicine and an Emirati scientist with a master's degree from University College London.

Why does it matter?

Speed and cost are the two biggest problems in drug development. Insilico Medicine says it typically takes 12 to 18 months to select a candidate for further testing, compared with two and a half to four years using traditional methods. That compression matters enormously, both scientifically and commercially.

But beyond the timeline, this discovery is part of a broader pattern. Earlier this year, Insilico's Abu Dhabi team announced a drug candidate targeting brain cancer, the first UAE-originated molecule named as a preclinical candidate moving toward human trials. In July, they revealed a non-opioid molecule that may treat chronic pain. The blood cancer announcement is the latest in a series the company plans to release throughout 2024.

Alghaith was direct about what AI brings to this process: "The hope of AI is that it will increase the success rate, reduce time spent and reduce costs."

The context

Insilico Medicine's UAE operations were set up with support from the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, and the company runs an AI and quantum computing development centre at the International Renewable Energy Agency headquarters in Masdar City. That institutional backing reflects a deliberate strategy, not coincidence.

The UAE has spent years building the conditions for exactly this kind of work, through investment in science infrastructure, talent pipelines, and partnerships with global research institutions. Alghaith, who began his career eight years ago when this sector simply did not exist in the UAE, noted the shift plainly: "You can see how quickly things can change. This is the environment the UAE has fostered and also contributed to Insilico's success."

For the GCC region more broadly, where healthcare systems are under pressure to reduce dependence on imported pharmaceuticals and build domestic biotech capability, Insilico's output has strategic weight. As Alghaith put it: "Insilico Medicine, and by extension the UAE, is one of the only players in the region originating new medicines."

That's a claim worth watching. Human trials for the candidates announced this year are still several years away, pending preclinical work and regulatory approvals. But the pipeline is real, and it is growing.