Quantum computing has just taken a crucial step toward revolutionizing pharmaceutical development. IonQ, a leader in quantum computing, has announced the results of a groundbreaking collaboration with AstraZeneca, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and NVIDIA. Together, they have managed to accelerate a complete computational chemistry workflow by over 20 times, a milestone that could transform the drug discovery and design process.
An Unprecedented Collaboration for a Critical Industry
The alliance between IonQ, AstraZeneca, AWS, and NVIDIA has focused on one of the most complex and costly phases of drug development: the simulation and optimization of fundamental chemical reactions. Developing new medications can take more than a decade and require billions of euros in investment. Improvements in speed and computational efficiency can therefore have a direct strategic and economic impact on the healthcare industry and the lives of millions of people.
During the ISC High Performance conference held this week in Hamburg, IonQ presented a demonstration simulating a Suzuki-Miyaura reaction, widely used in the synthesis of small molecule drugs, using a hybrid quantum-classical workflow. To achieve this, they integrated their IonQ Forte quantum processing unit (QPU) with the NVIDIA CUDA-Q platform, operating on Amazon Braket and AWS ParallelCluster, and leveraging the power of NVIDIA H200 GPUs.
The result: a reduction in simulation time from several months to just a few days, while maintaining the accuracy needed for pharmaceutical applications. The achieved speed is over 20 times faster than previous implementations of this type of process.
Statements from Key Players
Niccolo de Masi, CEO of IonQ, highlighted that “the ability to model catalytic reactions quickly and accurately is not just a scientific breakthrough, but a precursor to how hybrid computing with quantum acceleration will provide revolutionary capabilities for the industry.”
Anders Broo, CEO of pharmaceutical sciences at AstraZeneca, noted that “this collaboration marks a milestone for the precise modeling of relevant catalyzed reactions for process optimization in drug development. We look forward to further advancements in this field.”
From AWS, Eric Kessler, general manager of Amazon Braket, emphasized that quantum computers “will not replace traditional systems but will accelerate critical steps within HPC workflows.” Tim Costa, head of Quantum and CUDA-X at NVIDIA, added that the combination of quantum computing and GPUs in hybrid environments “is the way forward to realize the potential of quantum computing in real-world applications.”
A Model for the Industry
The workflow developed by IonQ and its partners represents the most complex chemical simulation ever conducted on IonQ hardware. It is a true proof of concept for the practical viability of hybrid quantum systems to overcome the limitations of traditional molecular simulation, enabling the analysis of much more complex systems in less time and with fewer computational resources.
This advancement not only accelerates the development of new medications but also lays the groundwork for sectors such as advanced chemistry, materials science, or energy research to adopt similar strategies in the near future.
The Future of Quantum Computing: Hybrid, Open, and Collaborative
IonQ, recently recognized in international innovation and growth rankings, continues to advocate for accessible quantum computing connected with major cloud service providers. The case presented alongside AstraZeneca, AWS, and NVIDIA is a clear example of how collaboration among leading companies can amplify impact and accelerate the delivery of tangible benefits to society.
For those interested in learning more about this project, IonQ offers additional information on its technical blog and will be present at booth A25 at ISC High Performance in Hamburg.