Insider Brief
- Xanadu Quantum Technologies has developed a quantum computational framework to accelerate the discovery of next-generation photosensitizers for photodynamic cancer therapy.
- The framework applies quantum simulation algorithms to model and improve photosensitizers, demonstrating the potential of quantum computing in drug development.
- Xanadu is also in the process of merging with Crane Harbor Acquisition Corp., with the combined company, Xanadu Quantum Technologies Limited, expected to be listed on Nasdaq and the Toronto Stock Exchange.
PRESS RELEASE — Xanadu Quantum Technologies Inc. (“Xanadu”), a leading photonic quantum computing company, today announced that it has developed a novel quantum computational framework to accelerate the discovery of next-generation photosensitizers for photodynamic cancer therapy, a targeted cancer treatment. Published as a pre-print article on arXiv, Xanadu’s new research demonstrates how fault-tolerant quantum computers can accelerate research into cutting-edge cancer treatments.
Photodynamic cancer therapy uses light-activated compounds called photosensitizers to selectively destroy tumor cells, typically resulting in less collateral damage than conventional treatments, such as chemotherapy. However, a photosensitizer’s success or failure often depends on complex properties, such as sensitivity to specific wavelengths of light and efficiency in triggering cancer cell death. Through the application of quantum simulation algorithms to four diverse photosensitizers, several of which are particularly challenging for classical simulations, Xanadu’s new research shows that quantum computers can effectively simulate the key properties needed to model and improve these treatments.
“The development of effective photosensitizers is currently hampered by the high cost and runtime required for experimental synthesis and classical simulations. We believe our results position fault-tolerant quantum computing as a highly attractive solution for discovering advanced photosensitizers by modelling key physical properties,” says Christian Weedbrook, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Xanadu.
Through this work, Xanadu provides a blueprint for an efficient, quantum-based workflow that can help identify potentially promising drug candidates. By focusing on simulating critical physical properties, such as cumulative absorption and intersystem crossing rates, Xanadu provides a way to determine, from first principles, which photosensitizer candidates could lead to highly efficient generation of reactive, cancer-killing molecules, thereby supporting the effectiveness of the photodynamic cancer treatment. In addition, the research provides estimates for the computational resources required to run these algorithms on utility-scale quantum computers and indicates potential speed and efficiency gains over classical methods.
This research serves as a foundational step toward a quantum-based workflow for drug design, with additional work planned to extend the framework to model more complex photosensitizer molecules. It provides an exciting new avenue for quantum computing to push the boundaries of drug development and cancer treatment.
Business Combination
Xanadu recently announced a business combination agreement with Crane Harbor Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: CHAC), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company (“Crane Harbor”). The combined company, Xanadu Quantum Technologies Limited (“NewCo”), is expected to be capitalized with approximately US$500 million in gross proceeds, comprising approximately US$225 million from Crane Harbor’s trust account, assuming no redemptions by Crane Harbor’s public stockholders, as well as US$275 million from a group of strategic and institutional investors participating in the transaction via a common equity committed private placement investment. NewCo is expected to be listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market and on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
