Target‐Engagement Prediction From Molecular Structure, In Vitro and Animal Data: A Tutorial for Early Assessment of Clinical Drug Exposure and Therapeutic/Adverse Potential Using the ANDROMEDA and PLATO Software on the InSilicoTrials Platform

Abstract

The target-engagement predictor, implemented within the InSilicoTrials cloud-based, AI-powered platform for model-informed drug discovery and development, enables early exploration of time-dependent pharmacological responses. Predictions can be generated using inputs ranging from molecular structure to in vitro, animal, and clinical data. Scaling and translation across species are supported, accounting for differences in body size and plasma protein binding. This tutorial demonstrates the application of the target-engagement predictor for benchmarking and decision-support in the evaluation of new drug candidates. Pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) data for carvedilol, ivabradine, and sunitinib were used as illustrative examples. The ANDROMEDA and PLATO software were used to predict human clinical PK and target affinity parameters, respectively, based on molecular SMILES representations of the drugs. These predictions were subsequently incorporated into longitudinal PKPD simulation models. User-friendly input wizards and interactive results dashboards were developed to facilitate clinical trial simulation for broader project teams, without requiring programming expertise. Predictions derived from molecular structure were compared with data generated from in vitro, rat, and clinical experimental settings. The target-engagement predictor enables integration of heterogenous data sources to support drug development decisions, including early benefit-risk assessment and dose selection for Phase 1 studies. Direct prediction based on molecular structure alone represents a promising approach for early-stage screening and evaluation of new drug candidates.