Nottingham, England – October 02, 2026 -- Quotient Sciences and Copenhagen-based Acesion Pharma have launched a collaboration to apply AI-enhanced formulation development to Acesion's early-stage pipeline of small molecules targeting atrial fibrillation, a condition affecting an estimated 50-60 million people globally.
AI tool uses Bayesian optimization to screen drug formulations for clinical success
The collaboration deploys Quotient Sciences' new AI-enhanced formulation development solution within its Translational Pharmaceutics platform, applying active machine learning with Bayesian optimization to identify and prioritize drug products most likely to succeed in clinical testing. The approach is designed to compress early clinical decision-making timelines for sponsors developing new treatments.
Atrial fibrillation carries a five-fold stroke risk, with lifetime risk near one in three for adults over 55
Atrial fibrillation is the world's most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia. Patients face an approximately five-fold increased risk of stroke, and the lifetime risk of developing the condition is roughly one in three adults over age 55, underscoring the scale of unmet clinical need Acesion's pipeline targets.
Acesion advances first-in-class SK channel inhibitors after demonstrating proof-of-concept
Acesion Pharma is developing first-in-class SK channel inhibitors aimed at delivering more efficacious, safe and tolerable atrial fibrillation treatment than existing drugs, which carry limited effect and risk of serious adverse events. The company has already demonstrated human proof-of-concept with its first-generation SK ion channel inhibitor, AP30663, in pharmacological AF cardioversion.
Translational Pharmaceutics platform has been used for over 20 years, now enhanced with AI
Quotient Sciences' Translational Pharmaceutics platform integrates drug product formulation and clinical activities and has supported biotech and pharmaceutical companies globally for more than two decades. The new AI layer allows development teams to analyze data and predict formulation performance earlier, focusing early-stage resources on candidates with the highest chances of clinical success.
Dr. Elisabeth V. Carstensen, Vice President CMC at Acesion Pharma, said the approach has the potential to shorten timelines for clinical testing and increase the likelihood of achieving the desired product profile for the company's small-molecule compounds.