TAMPA, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#ashatherapeutics–Asha Therapeutics has announced its rebranding as First Atom Therapeutics (“First Atom”), marking the company’s evolution as a zero-shot de novo drug design company using AI-enabled molecular design technology to create transformative medicines for neurodegenerative, neuro-oncological, and rare diseases.
This follows the expansion of First Atom’s PRISM Platform drug design technology and the integration of Asha’s design-driven discovery capabilities with foundational assets and expertise that broaden the company’s scientific and strategic reach. Together, these elements comprise the cornerstone of First Atom’s mission to accelerate the rational design and development of breakthrough therapies from first atom to patients.
First Atom’s de novo drug design system creates bespoke chemical matter atom by atom, tailored to a specific binding site on a target protein, modulating biological activity with no screening of pre-made chemical libraries. The company’s integrated AI and physics-based platform enables the design of novel compounds that bind to protein targets for which no similar examples exist.
As part of the company’s technology-driven expansion, First Atom announced that Rainer Metcalf, Ph.D., architect of the company’s PRISM Platform, will serve as Chief Technology Officer. Wayne Guida, Ph.D., former President and CEO of Schrödinger and a highly respected leader in computational and structure-based drug discovery, has been named Senior Technology Advisor. These appointments significantly deepen First Atom’s capabilities at the intersection of computational chemistry, molecular design, and translational strategy.
First Atom’s new structure and leadership reflect the company’s continued expansion of the PRISM Platform and the development of an asset pipeline addressing high-value disease areas through first-in-class and best-in-class innovation.
“The name First Atom incorporates our company’s approach to drug design from the outset – precise, foundational, and centered within the unlimited chemical space to create novel chemical entities with transformative potential,” commented Dr. Metcalf. “The origination of new drug concepts through rigorous design will define the next era of therapeutics.”
“First Atom is assembling a unique combination of scientific expertise, proven drug design capability, and strategic execution skill,” stated Dr. Guida. “I look forward to contributing to First Atom’s team and patient-centric culture as they continue to build out their drug design technology for the creation of critical new medicines.”
About First Atom Therapeutics
First Atom Therapeutics is a zero-shot drug design company originating transformative new medicines through a next-generation approach to rational drug design. First Atom combines computational insight, biological rigor, and design-driven innovation to address novel therapeutic opportunities across areas of high unmet need.
For more information, please visit www.firstatomtx.com.
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