source: techcrunch ai: sandboxaq brings its drug discovery models to claude — no phd in computing required
level: business
sandboxaq, an alphabet spinout chaired by eric schmidt, has partnered with anthropic to embed its large quantitative models directly into claude. these models, called lqms, are built on physical rules rather than text patterns. they run quantum chemistry calculations and simulate molecular dynamics and microkinetics. the integration means researchers can access powerful drug discovery and materials science tools through a conversational interface without needing their own computing infrastructure.
previously, sandboxaq customers had to supply their own digital setup to run the models. users are typically computational scientists or experimentalists at large pharma or industrial firms searching for new marketable materials. the company says these customers often come after other software has failed on complex real-world problems. by moving the models into claude, sandboxaq aims to remove the interface bottleneck and broaden access beyond highly technical users.
the move contrasts with other ai drug discovery startups like chai discovery and isomorphic labs, which focus on improving the underlying science. sandboxaq is betting that usability matters as much as model performance. the company targets what it calls the quantitative economy, a multi-trillion-dollar sector spanning biopharma, energy, and advanced materials. making lqms available in natural language could speed up early-stage research and reduce the cost of finding viable molecules.
why it matters: lowering the technical barrier to physics-based ai simulations could help more researchers test drug candidates faster, potentially cutting the time and cost of bringing new treatments to market.
source: techcrunch ai: sandboxaq brings its drug discovery models to claude — no phd in computing required