The journey from traditional remedies to modern pharmaceuticals has a long and storied history, with many contemporary drugs tracing their origins to natural sources. Aspirin, derived from willow tree bark, is one such example, and it illustrates the significant impact natural compounds can have on medicine. Despite this, scientists believe that we have only scratched the surface in discovering and harnessing nature’s potential for new medicines due to the complexities involved in identifying and testing these compounds.
The Potential of Nature in Medicine
Historical Context
- Willow Bark to Aspirin: For centuries, people chewed willow bark to alleviate pain, but it wasn’t until the 19th century that scientists at Bayer isolated and modified its active ingredient, leading to the creation of aspirin. This underscores the potential of traditional knowledge in informing modern medical discoveries.
- WHO Estimate: The World Health Organization estimates that around 40% of modern pharmaceutical products have origins in traditional remedies, demonstrating the significant contributions of natural sources to contemporary medicine.
Challenges in Natural Compound Discovery
- Complexity and Time: Identifying, isolating, and testing molecules from nature is a complex and time-consuming process compared to synthesizing new compounds in a laboratory. This has limited the extent to which natural compounds have been explored for medicinal purposes.
Enveda Biosciences: Bridging Tradition and Technology
Founding and Approach
- Viswa Colluru: After working at Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Colluru founded Enveda Biosciences in 2019 to leverage AI and other advanced techniques to expedite the discovery of new medicines from nature.
- Database of Medicinal Plants: Enveda has compiled a database of 38,000 medicinal plants linked to 12,000 diseases and symptoms, drawing on global historical and cultural knowledge of plant-based remedies.
- AI-Driven Discovery: Enveda’s AI models analyze this vast amount of data to identify plants with the highest potential for medicinal use. The AI then prioritizes specific molecules for testing based on their chemical structures.
Scientific and Commercial Progress
- Clinical Trials: Enveda’s approach is yielding promising results, with two drugs—one for eczema and another for inflammatory bowel diseases—set to begin clinical trials later this year.
- Funding and Strategic Partnerships: Enveda recently raised a $55 million Series B extension, bringing its total capital to $230 million. This round included investments from Microsoft, The Nature Conservancy, Premji Invest, Lingotto Investment Fund, and others. Microsoft is also providing cloud credits to support Enveda’s operations.
Enveda’s Unique Position
- Focus Beyond Cannabis and Psychedelics: Unlike many companies that focus on well-known natural sources like cannabis and psychedelics, Enveda explores the broader chemical diversity of plants. This approach aims to uncover a wealth of potential drugs beyond the currently popular natural sources.
The Future of Natural Compound Discovery
Enveda Biosciences represents a modern fusion of ancient wisdom and cutting-edge technology. By harnessing AI to analyze and test the medicinal potential of plants, Enveda is opening new frontiers in drug discovery. The company’s innovative approach and significant funding underscore the promising future of natural compound-based pharmaceuticals, potentially leading to breakthroughs in treating various diseases with nature’s vast chemical diversity.
