Denovo Sciences, Sidra Medicine, and Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar Announce Collaboration to Discover Drug Candidates for Homocystinuria

Doha – October 22, 2025 – Denovo Sciences Inc., a pioneer in AI-driven drug discovery based on synthetic data, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q), a leading biomedical research and educational institution, and Sidra Medicine, a women’s and children’s healthcare organization, are engaging in a collaboration to identify and develop novel drug candidates for homocystinuria, a rare and genetic metabolic disorder. The partnership aims to address a significant unmet medical need, particularly in the MENA region, where the condition has one of the highest prevalence rates in the world.

Homocystinuria is an inherited disorder that impairs the body’s ability to process the amino acid methionine, leading to a toxic buildup of homocysteine in the blood. This can cause severe complications, including developmental delays, vision problems, skeletal abnormalities, and a high risk of life-threatening blood clots and strokes. While current treatments involving strict dietary restrictions and supplements exist, they have limited efficacy for a significant portion of patients. The need for new therapeutic options is especially critical in the MENA region, where prevalence rates, such as in Qatar (1 in 1,800 births), are drastically higher than the global average (more than 1 in 200,000 births).

“We are thrilled to partner with prestigious institutions like Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar and Sidra Medicine,” said Hovakim Zakaryan, the CEO of Denovo Sciences. “Our Denovo Platform is uniquely suited to tackle rare diseases where data is scarce or absent. By combining our cutting-edge computational design with WCM-Q’s outstanding biological and pre-clinical expertise, we are confident we can discover a much-needed therapy for homocystinuria patients, particularly in the region where it is most needed.”

The collaboration will leverage the unique strengths of all three organizations. Denovo Sciences Inc. will conduct quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics studies and will deploy its proprietary AI-based Denovo Platform to generate promising drug candidates with high efficacy. Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar will contribute its state-of-the-art research facilities, deep expertise in metabolic diseases, and a world-class team of researchers to study the drug candidates delivered by Denovo Sciences Inc. Sidra Medicine will employ its extensive clinical expertise in homocystinuria to decide on the next steps regarding implementation of the novel candidates in the clinic. 

“This three-way collaboration builds on the combined expertise of Denovo Sciences, WCM-Q, and Sidra Medicine to tackle a devastating disease that affects the multiple families in Qatar,” said Prof. Khaled Machaca, Professor of Systems and Computational Biomedicine/Vice Dean for Research, Innovations, and Commercialization at WCM-Q. “We sincerely hope that the combined efforts and cutting-edge technologies will result in some relief to the affected individuals.”

“Our expertise and specialist treatment protocols for children with rare diseases, makes us a strong partner in this ground-breaking initiative with Denovo Sciences and WCM-Q,” said Prof. Tawfeg Ben Omran, Division Chief of Genomic and Genetic Medicine at Sidra Medicine. “The implementation of a new AI-driven therapy program for homocystinuria, will change the course of care for young patients in Qatar and across the region.”