WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a bold leap forward in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), has unveiled the Transforming Antibiotic R&D with Generative AI to stop Emerging Threats (TARGET) project. This initiative aims to harness the power of artificial intelligence to expedite the discovery and development of novel classes of antibiotics, addressing an urgent global health challenge.
Antibiotic resistance poses a formidable threat, with millions worldwide at risk of infections that were once easily treatable. The traditional pathway for developing new antibiotics involves extensive and labor-intensive processes, often resulting in a high failure rate and slow progression. TARGET seeks to revolutionize this cycle by leveraging deep learning and generative AI, promising to significantly accelerate the identification of promising antibiotic candidates.
“Antibiotic resistance is a real and urgent threat affecting millions of people. We need to prevent infections and conserve the antibiotics we have. We also urgently need new drugs to treat these increasingly resistant infections. This project will use AI to speed this needed innovation and help ensure we have the medicines we need to keep people alive,” stated HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, underscoring the critical need for innovative solutions in combating AMR.
TARGET, with a budget of up to $27 million, brings together Phare Bio, the Collins Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Harvard’s Wyss Institute. The initiative will focus on three core strategies:
- Expanding Antibiotic Candidates: By utilizing generative AI, TARGET will enlarge the current pool of molecules screened for antibiotic activity, including resources from the Broad Institute’s Drug Repurposing Hub and the ZINC15 library. This approach will enable the design of new antibiotic candidates from scratch, potentially uncovering previously unknown compounds.
- Developing Advanced Screening Methods: The project will employ deep learning to create sophisticated digital screening tools that evaluate the pharmaceutical potential of each molecule. This method promises to streamline the screening process, minimizing the time and resources spent on ineffective candidates.
- Validating Promising Discoveries: TARGET aims to identify and validate at least 15 new antibiotic leads, ensuring each candidate exhibits both antibiotic activity and drug-like properties. This validation process is crucial for replenishing the global pipeline with effective antibiotics.
Dr. Renee Wegrzyn, ARPA-H Director, emphasized the transformative potential of the project: “The rise of antibiotic resistance threatens to turn once-treatable infections into life-threatening ones, but with AI, we can accelerate the discovery of new antibiotics to address this threat like never before. With TARGET, ARPA-H is bringing together experts across antibiotic discovery, AI, and clinical testing to ensure we can refill the global pipeline of antibiotics and stop people from becoming seriously ill due to treatable infections.”
TARGET represents a pivotal step in the U.S. commitment to combat AMR, aligning innovative technology with strategic research to protect public health. As this initiative unfolds, it holds the promise of not only advancing scientific discovery but also significantly impacting global health by preventing the catastrophic consequences of antibiotic-resistant infections.
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