Isomorphic Labs on the Brink of Human Trials for AI-Developed Medications

Isomorphic Labs, a subsidiary of Alphabet, is preparing to initiate its first clinical trials for drugs developed using artificial intelligence. Colin Murdoch, the president of Isomorphic Labs and chief commercial officer of Google DeepMind, shared this information in an interview with Fortune.

Founded in 2021, Isomorphic Labs introduced AlphaFold 3 in 2024—its third-generation neural network designed for modeling the interactions between proteins, DNA, RNA, and drug molecules. Leveraging this platform, the company is focused on developing new treatments, particularly for cancer.

Murdoch emphasized that after several years of intensive research and development, Isomorphic Labs is on the verge of launching human clinical trials— a crucial milestone for assessing the effectiveness and safety of AI-generated drugs. The company is currently expanding its workforce in preparation for the trial launch.

In conjunction with the release of AlphaFold 3, Isomorphic Labs entered into several agreements with pharmaceutical giants Novartis and Eli Lilly. In April 2025, the company raised $600 million in its first round of external funding, led by Thrive Capital. These investments are expected to help grow the team and accelerate the development of new medications.

The head of Isomorphic Labs pointed out that traditional drug development processes can take decades and require billion-dollar investments, with a success rate of only around 10% once clinical trials begin. Murdoch believes that the technologies at Isomorphic Labs could dramatically alter this landscape.

“Our goal is to reach a point where researchers can confidently assert that an AI-generated drug will be effective in human trials. One day, we hope it will be as simple as identifying a disease, pressing a button, and receiving a drug design for its treatment,» Murdoch expressed.