Applying genetics to chemistry to find new small molecules

For all the advances that have been made in it, drug discovery is still a hit or miss process, as much an art as a science. But new technologies are changing that, allowing companies to approach the process with a more precise eye. On today’s episode of the pharmaphorum podcast, Jason Park, CEO of Empress Therapeutics, discusses his company's novel approach to small molecule drug discovery.

Empress Therapeutics applies AI algorithms to biosynthetic gene data sourced from the clinic to find new small molecule drug candidates. Park talks about why this approach hasn’t been widespread before and why Empress is betting big on it.

Host Jonah Comstock talks to Park not only about Empress Therapeutics, but about AI in drug discovery more broadly and how the business models around it are evolving. They also discuss Park’s secondary role at Flagship Pioneering and how Flagship’s approach to incubating companies has led to the creation of innovative new biotechs like Empress.

You can listen to episode 114 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, acast, Stitcher, and Podbean.