San Jose, Calif. — Verseon’s CEO Adityo Prakash presented at the 22nd Annual Congress of International Drug Discovery Science & Technology (IDDST 2026), held June 16-18 in Osaka, Japan.
The presentation showed how Verseon’s physics-driven approach addresses the gap between the promise of AI in pharmaceutical research and its actual performance in small-molecule drug discovery. While AI has been widely presented as a solution to the pharmaceutical industry’s productivity problems, efforts to use it as the primary engine for discovering novel small-molecule drugs have fallen short of expectations. Because AI models are limited to data from existing high-throughput screening libraries, they can make small modifications to known drug molecules or repurpose them for new indications, but they cannot identify candidates whose chemical structures diverge meaningfully from compounds already characterized.
Adityo’s talk explained that creating truly novel drug molecules requires physics-based predictive design accurate enough to operate without relying on AI trained on prior data. Once that physics-based process generates drug candidates, AI can take on the role for which it is best suited: identifying the optimal variants of these new molecules for advancement into clinical trials. Successfully using AI for optimization requires a neural-network architecture built for the small, sparse datasets that are typical in life sciences.
Verseon has applied this “physics first” approach from inception, generating multiple novel drug candidates with distinct therapeutic profiles in every program the company undertakes.
About Adityo Prakash
Adityo Prakash started Verseon to change the way the world finds new medicines. He has led the development of the company’s drug discovery platform, novel drug pipeline, and overall business strategy. He enjoys building fundamental science-based solutions to major challenges that impact society. Previously, he was CEO of Pulsent Corporation and is the primary inventor of technology at the heart of all video streaming today. With a track record of delivering industry firsts, Prakash is an inventor on 40 patent families. He received his BS in physics and mathematics from the California Institute of Technology.
About Verseon
Verseon International Corporation (www.verseon.com) is a clinical-stage, technology-driven pharmaceutical company transforming the delay, prevention, and treatment of disease. Using its Deep Quantum Modeling + AI platform, Verseon is rolling out a steady stream of life-changing medicines. Each of the company's drug programs features multiple novel candidates with unique therapeutic properties. None of these candidates can be found by other current methods. Verseon's fast-growing pipeline addresses major human diseases in the areas of cardiometabolic disorders and cancers. The company's supporters and advisors include multiple Nobel laureates, former heads of R&D of major pharmaceutical companies, and various key opinion leaders in medicine.
About IDDST
The Annual Congress of International Drug Discovery Science and Technology (IDDST) is a cross-cultural meeting place to promote innovations for the future of drug discovery science and technology, which will cover both academic and industrial aspects of drug discovery. It encourages mutual understanding between basic research and commercial purposes. The main mission is to provide a platform and bridge for academic and industrial fields worldwide. Affiliated with WHTS, IDDST forms close partnerships with regional governments, the private sector, and academic institutions. It is a unique conference to update knowledge and translate cutting-edge scientific outcomes into a healthier world.