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BenevolentAI has snapped up a GSK head for its drug discovery division

London-headquartered BenevolentAI has hired a former head honcho at global pharmaceutical company GSK to head up the drug discovery division at its BenevolentBio subsidiary.

The AI company, which is one of the most prominent currently operating in the space, has hired Dr Ian Churcher MA, DPhil as its VP of Drug Discovery and Preclinical development, joining from GSK where he previously headed up a Discovery Performance Unit.

Benevolent is one of the foremost companies currently applying machine learning and AI algorithms to fuel medical and drug discoveries.

Its systems are able to range through medical literature and research in a fraction of the time it would take a human, and is able to seek out links and connections across vastly disparate sources to suggest new cures and potential drugs.

Jackie Hunter, chief executive of BenevolentBio commented: “Ian is a well-recognised and respected in the pharma industry.

“He has focussed much of his career on innovating the drug discovery process and increasing the efficiency of bringing new medicines to patients.

“This experience fits perfectly with what BenevolentBio are doing – using AI to disrupt traditional drug discovery methods and using technology to accelerate drug development, so we are very pleased to welcome Ian to BenevolentBio.”