AI Drug Development Process: Your Questions Answered, Your Journey Clarified
Explore our frequently asked questions for clarity on your path from target identification to biology characterization to pharmacokinetics analysis to candidate selection.
Logica is a joint product offered by Charles River and Valo that develops a small molecule product against a given target according to jointly agreed specifications. Charles River and Valo utilize their combined experience and drug discovery capabilities to execute the project and utilize a unique risk-sharing business model with fixed costs.
Unlike traditional service-based offerings provided by CROs, Logica is delivered as a drug discovery platform resulting in a preclinical candidate in three parts: Logica-A (in vitro biology), Logica-B (pharmacokinetics), and Logica-C (efficacy). The Logica-A, B, and C workflow starts from an identified target and results in a preclinical candidate. The key advantage is flexibility, meaning you can engage with any individual phase or combination of phases that meet your program’s specific needs. Once the target is identified, Logica aims its algorithms and data-generation capabilities at your design specifications. We use pre-existing global models, as well as build suites of bespoke models, and aim them at vast chemical universes, focusing on the most promising series, which are then synthesized and validated. Through our A, B, C phases, we systematically characterize compound biology (A), understand pharmacokinetics (B), and demonstrate suitable target engagement for efficacy with appropriate therapeutic windows (C).
Logica combines world-class wet lab data generation platforms with best-in-class machine learning chemical design technology to deliver comprehensive characterization and optimization of your compounds. Logica provides a level of certainty for drug discovery through risk-sharing and value-anchored structures — a first for small molecule development. The Charles River and Valo partnership addresses all your needs: a high-confidence candidate that can be tested in clinical development. With three distinct phases, you have the flexibility to engage where your program needs the most support.
No. There is no obligation to continue beyond any individual phase. You can engage with just Logica-A, B, or C, or a sequential combination that meets your needs (A-B, B-C). If for whatever reason you don’t want to proceed, there are no financial penalties.
No. All types of clients can be engaged in the Logica discussion. Whether you have a validated target, a target that needs validation, or an ongoing compound development program, we can help. Our flexible A, B, C approach means we can support programs at various stages of development and criteria will be tailored to reflect this.
Logica is not an AI offering; it is a full-service drug discovery product that integrates the best capabilities, both experimental- and machine learning (ML)-based, with drug discovery expertise central to the process.
Key predictions made by ML approaches will always be tested in experimental assays and the data package provided to you will include experimental values and structures.
Unlike traditional AI solutions and machine learning solutions, Logica is a truly integrated drug discovery offering focused on value generation and delivering assets rather than a la carte services. We interact with data at predefined value inflection points and provide a true end-to-end risk-sharing model, delivering leads and candidates as drug discovery products. Our A, B, C framework also provides unprecedented flexibility to engage exactly where your program needs support. Additionally, the amount of data behind the models is vast, and we engage via a risk-share model, with a significant proportion only paid upon the successful delivery of each phase.
Logica has three deliverables. Logica-A provides comprehensive in vitro biology characterization including target engagement, selectivity, and initial ADME assessment. Logica-B delivers comprehensive pharmacokinetics analysis including ADME profiling, bioavailability assessment, and PK/PD modeling. The third deliverable is efficacy demonstration, called Logica-C, which establishes efficacy and the appropriate therapeutic window for your candidate. The exact criteria for each phase are agreed with you up front, which makes the achievement of each phase very transparent.
AI-powered drug discovery revolutionizes our industry by integrating cutting-edge technology with decades of expertise. It accelerates target-to-candidate timelines, enhances hit identification, and maximizes success rates. Valo’s AI, combined with Charles River’s laboratory services, enables unparalleled efficiency and precision in small molecule drug development. Our flexible A, B, C approach means you can leverage this power exactly where your program needs it most.
AI-powered drug discovery streamlines the process by rapidly sifting through vast amounts of data, generating predictive models, and identifying promising compounds. This reduces trial and error, identifies novel compounds, and optimizes designs. It’s a leap forward, saving time, costs, and resources compared to traditional methods. The modular A, B, C approach provides additional efficiency by allowing focused engagement on specific program needs.
Integrating AI and laboratory services under one roof empowers us to swiftly translate targets into viable candidates. Seamless collaboration between AI-driven design and wet lab expertise eliminates gaps, accelerates decision-making, and reduces risks. This synergy results in faster, more precise, and ultimately more successful drug discovery journeys. The A, B, C framework provides additional advantages by allowing targeted application of this integrated approach exactly where needed.