How Algorithmiq hopes to cure disease with quantum computing

How would you find a grain of sand if you had to search for it on all the beaches in the universe? That's the metaphorical challenge that Finnish software startup Algorithmiq hopes to solve through a groundbreaking new partnership with IBM to be announced today. The Helsinki-based quantum computing company hopes its technology will revolutionize the way we develop new drugs to fight disease.

“We believe that some problems can only be solved with quantum computing,” says Sabrina Maniscalco, CEO and co-founder of Algorithmiq. "The Quantum Advantage will help break the current stalemate in drug development, where life science companies are spending more and more on research but see no increase in the number of new drugs coming in."

Algorithmiq's software will assist in the crucial drug discovery phase of drug development. Pharmaceutical and life science companies already use powerful computers to model the behavior of molecules inside the human body – and therefore to predict which drugs will work well against which diseases. But while this represents a significant advance over traditional research methods, conventional computers can only run simulations up to a point, Maniscalco warns. “We are now reaching the limits of what is possible with this approach,” she says.

Enter quantum computers, which harness quantum mechanics to perform certain types of computation more efficiently – faster in other words – than traditional machines. With software developed specifically to run on such machines - using new types of complex algorithms - it is possible to break the current ceiling, says Maniscalco.

"This approach is not just being improved incrementally, although it will certainly reduce the time and cost of drug discovery," she says. "It's really disturbing."

This is where the grain of sand metaphor comes in. According to Maniscalco, there are something like 1063 molecules in the universe, each of which could have a role to play in a new drug. Algorithmiq's software, when run on a sufficiently powerful computer, can find them all, she says. For conventional computers, the maximum range is more like 1016.

That's why today's agreement with IBM is so important. By joining IBM's Quantum Network, Algorithmiq will be able to offer a commercially viable proposition to pharmaceutical and life science companies. They will be able to access the hardware and software needed to use quantum computing for drug discovery. Maniscalco believes that the first drugs developed in this way could be available for trials within the next three years.

For Algorithmiq itself, this potentially represents a huge growth opportunity. The company will initially seek to monetize its technology through partnerships with life science companies – effectively making its platform available for use in their drug discovery programs; it will earn license fees and potentially drug royalties through such deals.

In the longer term, however, Maniscalco has bigger ambitions for the company. “We want to become the first quantum biotech and do everything in-house,” she explains.

The quantum advantage isn't just about the increased processing power of quantum computers, she adds. The way these machines work is also more in line with the drug discovery process. Quantum computers work at the level of quantum physics - exactly the same way as molecules that must be studied during discovery. "The power here is the ability to simulate other quantum systems," says Maniscalco.

That's an important point, says Ivano Tavernelli, global head of advanced algorithms for quantum simulations at IBM Research. "Professor Maniscalco is a leader in the field and an expert in increasing the performance of quantum hardware through her work to reduce the noise that plagues quantum systems," he says. "We support Algorithmiq's ambition and believe the company's work will be critical in paving the way to demonstrating quantum advantage with near-term quantum algorithms."

It is above all an exciting proposition for society, as the world's population searches for new treatments for complex diseases and conditions. Algorithmiq has already begun discussions with leading pharmaceutical and life science companies about the potential applications of its technology.

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