Ministry of Science Commits INR 86 Cr to Peptris for AI-Based Drug Development

The funding will be provided through the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund as optionally convertible debt (OCD), according to an official statement.

The Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Ministry of Science and Technology has agreed to provide INR 86 crore in financial support to Bengaluru-based Peptris Technologies Pvt. Ltd. to advance four AI-discovered drug candidates through preclinical development and toward clinical trials.

The project, titled VIGOR — Moving AI-Discovered Molecules from the Lab to the Clinic, has a total cost of INR 172 crore. The funding will be provided through the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund as optionally convertible debt (OCD), according to an official statement.

The program aims to advance the four experimental drug candidates from Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 to TRL 6, involving experimental validation, preclinical studies and preparation for clinical development.

Peptris Targets Four Therapeutic Areas

The VIGOR program covers four experimental drug candidates targeting different therapeutic areas:

PEPR111: Neuromuscular disorders and cancer

PEPRX101: Hair loss (alopecia)

PEPR202: Neuropathy

PEPR112: Diabetes mellitus

All four candidates are currently at TRL 4, with the project targeting progression to TRL 6. The development process will combine Peptris’ proprietary AI-powered drug discovery platform with laboratory validation and established drug development processes.

The company also plans to use a global contract research organization (CRO) network to support the development and validation of the candidates.

TDB Funding to Support Preclinical Development

Rajesh Kumar Pathak, Secretary of TDB, said artificial intelligence has the potential to change how pharmaceutical researchers identify and develop new drugs. However, translating computational discoveries into potential therapies requires sustained investment, scientific evaluation and structured development.

He added that TDB is supporting technology-intensive programs through the RDI Fund to bridge the gap between innovation and clinical development and strengthen India’s capabilities in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and AI-based healthcare innovation.

A Peptris representative said the financial support would help the company advance its VIGOR program through critical preclinical development stages, combining AI-driven discovery with experimental validation.

Bridging AI Discovery and Drug Development

AI-based drug discovery enables researchers to identify promising molecules and investigate disease mechanisms. However, candidates identified computationally must undergo experimental testing and preclinical evaluation before they can progress toward human clinical trials.

The VIGOR program focuses on moving selected AI-discovered molecules through these development stages. The proposed work is intended to establish the scientific and preclinical evidence needed to determine whether the candidates can advance further in the drug development pipeline.

The agreement adds to India's efforts to support research-intensive biotechnology and pharmaceutical programs that apply AI to therapeutic development.

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