Govt. of India’s Ministry of Science & Technology on 12 October announced via press release that its Technology Development Board (TDB) has signed an agreement with Peptris Technologies Private Limited, Bengaluru, Karnataka for financial support of ₹86 crore under the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund.
The govt. Believes that it is a crucial step towards accelerating the development of next-generation therapeutics through artificial intelligence.
In its press release The Ministry of Science and Technology stated that its much anticipated AI integrated clinical research project, title VIGOR: Advancing AI-Discovered Molecules from Bench to Clinic, has a projected cost of ₹172 crore.
The govt. has decided to bear the project cost of up to ₹86 crore. The financial support will be provided through Optionally Convertible Debt (OCD).
The main objective behind the initiative is to advance development of four drug candidates from Technology Readiness Level (TRL)-4 to TRL-6 by facilitating preclinical development, validation and preparation for clinical trials.
The program covers four drug candidates: PEPR111, targeting neuromuscular disorders and oncology; PEPRX101, focused on alopecia; PEPR202, targeting neuropathy; and PEPR112, focused on DMD.
Each of these drugs is currently positioned at TRL-4, the project aims to advance these drugs from TRL-4 to TRL-6.
The program has planned a structured approach to progress development of these drug readiness levels over a course of three years. The plan encompasses advanced preclinical and investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies that include formulation development, clinical trial preparation and initiation activities, subject to the relevant scientific and regulatory requirements.
| Drug | Therapeutic Area |
|---|---|
| PEPR111 | Neuromuscular Disorders and Oncology |
| PEPR112 | DMD |
| PEPRX101 | Alopecia |
| PEPR202 | Neuropathy |
Artificial intelligence is opening new possibilities in drug discovery by enabling researchers to identify promising molecules, investigate disease mechanisms and accelerate the search for potential therapies.
But translating computational discoveries into viable drug candidates requires extensive experimental validation, preclinical studies and clinical development.
Peptris’ VIGOR program seeks to combine its AI-driven drug discovery platform and its existing platform experience to accelerate the development of novel therapeutic drug candidates. The approach leverages AI-enabled discovery and established drug-development expertise, including the use of global contract research organization (CRO) networks to support development and validation.
The program is set to address therapeutic areas with unmet medical needs. It emphasizes identification and development of novel therapies by combining computational capabilities, scientific validation and established drug-development processes.
Its focus on selected disease areas reflects the opportunity to direct innovation towards conditions where effective treatment options remain limited.
(Rh/MF)