Quris

Israel-based Quris is a drug discovery company that leverages AI to discover and develop novel therapeutics by predicting the safety and efficacy of potential drug candidates.

Quris launched its Bio-AI clinical prediction platform—reportedly the first-of-its-kind—in 2021, which uses the “patient-on-a-chip” technology—a small-scale simulation of the human body and organs, which is used to predict a drug’s response and effectiveness in humans. This method is believed to replace mice-testing, expedite the drug development process, and save costs significantly. The platform, developed in partnership with the New York Stem Cell Foundation, had 29 granted and pending patents as of June 2023. 

Quris was developing a drug from its platform to treat fragile X syndrome (FXS). This is the most common root cause of inherited autism and intellectual difficulties, which has been difficult to treat in the past, even by large pharma companies such as Novartis and Roche. 

Key customers and partnerships

In February 2022, Quris partnered with Merck to test its platform and identify the potential risks of its drug candidates to the liver. In September 2023 , the company expanded its collaboration with Merck for drug toxicity prediction. 

Funding and financials

In December 2022 , Quris raised USD 9 million in seed funding, bringing total seed round funding to USD 37 million. The round was led by SoftBank Vision Fund and existing private and institutional investors, including Welltech Ventures. The funds were allocated toward advancing its platform, accelerating its research and development of novel therapeutics, expanding its team, and enhancing partnerships.