• This initiative aims to eliminate financial barriers and provide access to cutting-edge technology, supporting researchers and driving innovation in drug discovery.
• This platform will leverage generative AI to identify and select promising compounds for potential development into medicines.
• The collaboration highlights the importance of cross-sector partnerships in addressing global health challenges.

London, United Kingdom and Geneva, Switzerland — 19 March 2025. Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) and deepmirror have partnered to provide drug discovery researchers in global health with a machine learning (ML)- and artificial intelligence (AI)-based platform. This initiative aims to bolster global health security by aiding scientists in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in their drug discovery efforts.

The platform, named Drug Design for Global Health (DD4GH), will accelerate the identification and selection of promising compounds for potential development into medicines. Scientists will have access to a sophisticated platform able to analyse significant amounts of data, and generate and identify the most promising compounds to test with the ultimate goal of expediting the development of effective treatments.

A key highlight of this partnership is the commitment, where possible, to make the platform free of charge to scientists in the Global South working on diseases of significance to global health security such as malaria, tuberculosis and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). By eliminating financial barriers and providing access to cutting-edge technology, deepmirror and MMV aim to enable researchers to drive innovation in drug research.

Dr Max Jakobs, deepmirror CEO, said “At deepmirror, we’re driven by the belief that groundbreaking science should know no borders. Our partnership with MMV empowers researchers in LMICs with cutting-edge AI and ML tools, breaking down barriers in drug discovery and paving the way for a more equitable future in global health.”

Advance equity in drug discovery through AI and ML

Tailored to meet the needs of researchers in LMICs, the disease-agnostic platform aims to address critical gaps by aiding in the development of pandemic preparedness and health tools such as non- hormonal contraceptives.

Dr Olushina Olawale Awe, a Nigerian data scientist and Vice President of the International Association for Statistical Education, said “AI and ML are powerful tools accelerating scientific innovation in drug discovery. By providing scientists in LMICs with advanced computational platforms, initiatives like the partnership between MMV and deepmirror enable local experts to drive innovation that promotes global health security and a more inclusive global scientific community.”

The platform will implement active learning, a technique that allows the AI to continuously improve its predictions by learning from new data once it is available. Furthermore, it will include pre-trained models based on global health data provided by MMV, enhancing its predictive capabilities and aiding in creating a streamlined drug design process even if researchers have not yet generated data.

Dr Martin Fitchet, MMV CEO, said “At a time where the global health sector is facing unprecedented challenges, we are thrilled about the transformative potential of this partnership. By leveraging ML to accelerate drug discovery as well as making it accessible to researchers in malaria-endemic regions and beyond, we aim to enable scientists worldwide to expedite the development of new life-saving medicines.”

The collaboration between deepmirror and MMV underscores the importance of cross-sector partnerships in addressing global health challenges. As part of this partnership, scientists will also receive on-site training in using the platform to reinforce knowledge sharing.

By combining expertise in technology and healthcare, the two organizations are poised to contribute to significant strides in the fight against malaria and other diseases, ultimately benefiting communities worldwide.

For press enquiries, contact:
Doreen Akiyo Yomoah
Communications Manager, MMV
Phone +41 79 238 60 74
E-mail: yomoahd@mmv.org

‍