Cardiovascular Diseases: Cambridge Spin-Out Uses AI to Discover New Treatments

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing various industries, with drug discovery being one of the most promising fields. By analyzing vast amounts of biological data, AI can predict how chemical compounds interact with specific targets in the body, speeding up the identification of potential new medications.

In this context, Cambridge University spin-out CardiaTec is focused on combating cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The company has recently announced raising $6.5 million in its initial funding round to support its research efforts.

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death worldwide, claiming 17.9 million lives annually, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The most common cause is ischemic heart disease (coronary artery disease), which accounts for 13% of all global deaths.

Founded in 2021 by Rafael Peralta (CEO) and Telma Zabloki (COO), CardiaTec is supported by its third co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Namshik Han, who teaches AI-based drug discovery at Cambridge. Han, with his expertise in machine learning and computational biology, also heads the AI department at the Milner Therapeutics Institute, which maintains close ties with the pharmaceutical industry.

Peralta noted that Han’s academic background provides a unique perspective bridging academic and practical knowledge, essential for developing new therapies for cardiovascular diseases.

CardiaTec aims to address a significant issue: the high cost of drug development, approximately $2.2 billion, with 90% of potential candidates failing in the process, according to Deloitte. The company’s goal is to "decode" the biology of cardiovascular diseases.

To achieve this, CardiaTec has partnered with 65 hospitals across the UK and the US to obtain human heart tissues. This will help create what the company calls the largest multi-omics human heart tissue dataset, encompassing a wide range of biological information. These data will aid in developing new therapeutic solutions.

Peralta mentioned that accessing human tissues was previously challenging due to consent, ethical, and logistical issues. However, improved hospital infrastructure now allows for effective data collection.

CardiaTec can compare healthy arterial tissues with those affected by plaque buildup, generating data necessary for refining computational models of diseases. Such computational approaches, integrating multi-omic data, provide a deeper understanding of disease mechanisms.

Although AI-developed drugs have yet to reach the market, their potential has generated significant interest. Recently, startups like Xaira and Formation Bio have secured substantial funding, while UK-based Healx raised $47 million for rare disease drug development.

Pharmaceutical startup Insilico Medicine has recently announced the world’s first new drug discovery for treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. AI played a crucial role in designing the drug’s chemical structure and determining its cellular target, with the drug currently undergoing Phase II trials in the US and China.

CardiaTec previously raised $1.8 million in seed funding, and the new $6.5 million will support the expansion of its data collection, laboratory testing of its therapeutic models, and team growth. The next step is to identify and test real drug candidates, a process that will likely take several years.

The seed funding round for CardiaTec was led by Montage Ventures, with participation from Continuum Health Ventures, Laidlaw Ventures, Apex Ventures, and several angel investors.