SEEQC, which is a digital quantum computing company, and Oxford University have partnered to ensure accelerated use of computing based on the quantum method in the research particularly focused on pharmaceuticals. This collaboration has unfolded since the development time which is required for the production of drugs across the world needs to be reduced significantly.
The university has stepped into a consortium led by SEEQC, which has a proven track record in digital quantum computing to develop and deliver Merck KGaA, a full-stack quantum computer that will help in pharmaceutical drug development.
Innovate which is UK’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, has awarded a grant of £6.85m to the consortium already. The grant has been great assistance when it comes to forming a quantum computer that is commercially scalable and also equipped and designed to keep in check high costs, which are dominant in Pharma drug development.
The co-founder and chief product officer of SEEQC, Matthew Hutchings, says that the discovery of drugs involves labor and time with immense cost. Having said that, he adds that, with an invaluable commercial benchmarking by Merck, they have received an opportunity to develop a platform that can undoubtedly improve drug development efficiency. As per him, this partnership will elevate the quantum computing use within the pharmaceutical gamut to a large extent and thereby reduce the time involved in drug development across the world.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Innovation at Oxford, Professor Chas Bountra says that since they are from the academics, they need to do everything for industry colleagues to excel in the new medicinal development of patients, and he is very much excited about this project as it furnishes them with opportunities to work with varied technology leaders and in a way transform the drug discovery process. This news is one of a kind and first when a quantum computer has been patched with another high-performance computer within the network infrastructure.
