Isomorphic Labs

Isomorphic Labs is a drug discovery company founded in 2021 by Demis Hassabis, who also co-founded Google DeepMind and chairs it, operating as a subsidiary of Alphabet. It applies AI to the drug discovery process, one of the most expensive and time-consuming challenges in science.

Its core technology builds on DeepMind's AlphaFold breakthrough in protein structure prediction. The company's IsoDDE (Isomorphic Drug Design Engine), which some coverage has called "AlphaFold 4", aims to predict not just protein structures but how drug molecules will bind to their targets, how they will be metabolized and what side effects they may cause, speeding up the early stages of drug design. Unlike the AlphaFold releases, IsoDDE is closed: there is no public code, weights or API.

Isomorphic works through partnerships rather than selling access. Eli Lilly and Novartis signed on in 2024, with Novartis adding up to three more research programs in February 2025, and Johnson & Johnson became its third big-pharma partner in January 2026 with a multi-target collaboration spanning small molecules and biologics. Isomorphic designs the molecules and the partners carry candidates through development. Financial terms for the Johnson & Johnson deal were not disclosed.

The bet is Alphabet's: that the techniques that solved protein folding can shorten a drug development process that typically takes 10 to 15 years and costs billions of dollars. In May 2026 it raised a 2.1 billion dollar Series B, led by Thrive Capital with Alphabet, GV and Temasek among the backers, to move its drug programs toward the clinic. Isomorphic has said it is preparing its first candidates for human trials, and until one reports results the approach remains an intention rather than a proven outcome.