The 24-month partnership will explore AI-assisted drug discovery and preclinical research, drawing on Abu Dhabi’s clinical and genomic resources. 

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Abu Dhabi’s Department of Health has signed a research agreement with Isomorphic Labs to advance AI-assisted drug discovery, with a 24-month roadmap covering selected research projects and the development of frameworks for preclinical research. Announced on October 21 at the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit, the agreement will bring the company’s drug-design technology into Abu Dhabi’s Trusted Research Environment, where the partners plan to work with the emirate’s health and genomic research resources.  

The MoU was signed by Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health, and Max Jaderberg, President of Isomorphic Labs. The agreement fits into Abu Dhabi’s broader effort to develop its life sciences sector by linking genomic data, health research and international drug development expertise. The emirate’s Emirati Genome Programme and connected health system are central to that effort, providing resources that can help researchers investigate disease and the role genetic differences may play in treatment. 

Using AI to Identify Potential Drug Candidates 

Founded as a spin-off from Google DeepMind, Isomorphic Labs is developing AI models to help scientists understand biological interactions and design potential medicines. Its drug-design engine, IsoDDE, is built to work across different biological targets and drug types, helping researchers investigate molecular interactions and explore compounds that might otherwise be difficult to identify. The company says its technology can reduce some of the time spent on early research by allowing scientists to test predictions computationally before moving to laboratory experiments.  

Abu Dhabi’s genomic resources offer another reason for the collaboration. Middle Eastern populations have historically been underrepresented in many genomic datasets used in biomedical research, leaving gaps in the evidence available to scientists studying genetic variation and disease. Including more representative data could help researchers investigate whether findings apply across different populations and support future work on personalized treatments. The agreement establishes a setting for that research, but the specific studies and their expected outputs have not been detailed publicly. 

The practical challenge remains the same for AI-led and conventional drug discovery: a promising prediction must hold up under testing. Researchers need to establish whether a candidate behaves as expected, has suitable properties and can progress through preclinical studies before it can be considered for human trials. The Abu Dhabi agreement focuses on selected discovery projects and preclinical research, not on a clinical trial or the launch of a new medicine. 

What the Two-Year Agreement Sets in Motion 

The 24-month period gives the partners a defined window to develop their research program, but it is not a timetable for delivering an approved treatment. Preclinical studies help establish whether a potential medicine is suitable for further development; candidates that pass this stage must still undergo clinical trials and regulatory review.  

For Abu Dhabi, the agreement brings an international AI drug discovery company into its expanding research ecosystem. For Isomorphic Labs, it provides a collaboration with a health authority that is developing the data resources and research environment needed to support biomedical work. The significance of the partnership will depend on the projects selected, the findings they produce and whether those findings can be validated experimentally.  

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