Qubit Pharmaceuticals to Collaborate With The Centre For Quantum Technologies in Singapore to Advance Quantum Algorithms For Drug Discovery
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Insider Brief Qubit Pharmaceuticals and the Centre for Quantum Technologies have launched a two-year collaboration to develop and test quantum algorithms for molecular discovery, aiming to move quantum chemistry methods toward practical drug development applications. The partnership focuses on implementing algorithms such as variational quantum eigensolvers, quantum phase estimation, and quantum Markov chain Monte Carlo to address computational bottlenecks in molecular simulation and improve prediction accuracy. Researchers will validate these approaches on simulators and deploy them on Quantinuum hardware, including H2 and Helios systems, to assess whether quantum methods can deliver meaningful computational advantages over classical techniques. Image: Colleagues from Qubit Pharmaceuticals and the Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT) gathered at Quantum Industry Day in Singapore on April 23, 2026. Pictured from left to right: José Ignacio Latorre, CQT; Baptiste Claudon, Qubit Pharmaceuticals; Robert Marino, Qubit Pharmaceuticals; Sergi Ramos-Calderer, CQT. (Centre for Quantum Technologies, Singapore) PRESS RELEASE — Qubit Pharmaceuticals, a deeptech company specializing in the discovery of new drug candidates, today announced a strategic research collaboration with the Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT) in Singapore to develop and utilize novel quantum algorithms for molecular discovery. This two-year collaboration combines Qubit Pharmaceuticals’ expertise in quantum chemistry and sampling techniques with CQT’s extensive skills in quantum computing, circuit design, and experimental implementation. The goal is to bridge the gap between advanced quantum chemistry and Monte Carlo methods and practical drug discovery applications. Together, the teams design and test quantum chemistry algorithms, including variational eigenvalue (VQE) solvers, quantum phase estimation, and quantum Markov chain Monte Carlo (qMCMC) sampling. These algorithms target key computational bottlenecks in drug discovery, such as improving the accuracy of quantum chemistry calculations for better drug property predictions, and developing more efficient sampling techniques for molecular simulations. “ Quantum algorithms for chemistry have been studied for decades, but concrete implementations remain rare ,” said Robert Marino, CEO of Qubit Pharmaceuticals . “ By collaborating with CQT and leveraging access to cutting-edge quantum hardware, we aim to move these algorithms from the stage of theoretical concepts to real computational tools for molecular discovery .” “ Recent advances in quantum hardware are exciting. We want to keep pace with this in the development of quantum algorithms. We are delighted to be collaborating with experts in the field like Qubit Pharmaceuticals to demonstrate what quantum computers can bring to real-world problems ,” said José Ignacio Latorre, Director of CQT and Provost’s Chair in the Department of Physics at the National University of Singapore . Researchers are seeking to determine whether quantum algorithms can achieve optimal accuracy in molecular simulations, while potentially offering quadratic or even exponential computational advantages over classical approaches. They will validate their algorithms on quantum simulators before deploying them on real quantum hardware. The project is supported by Singapore’s National Quantum Computing Hub, through which CQT researchers have access to Quantinuum’s quantum systems, including the H2 and Helios systems. Robert Marino and Baptiste Claudon presented the first results of these experiments on April 23 at a Quantum Industry Day organized by Quantinuum and the NQO in Singapore in front of 250 participants.
The team implemented the qMCMC algorithm by testing several types of encoding. This is the first time this type of algorithm has been deployed on quantum hardware, and the team published the details on the preprint server arXiv ( https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.08395 ). The collaboration is led by Jean-Philip Piquemal at Qubit Pharmaceuticals and Sergi Ramos-Calderer at CQT, with an initial team of four researchers split between the two organizations. Additional researchers are expected to join the project as it expands. “ Thanks to our collaboration with Quantinuum, we have the opportunity to test quantum algorithms on some of the best logic-gate quantum machines available today ,” said Sergi Ramos-Calderer . “ Algorithm design must progress in tandem with hardware improvements, and this work is a significant step in that direction .” Jean-Philip Piquemal, Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of Qubit Pharmaceuticals, states: “ Drug discovery is fundamentally a problem of molecular simulation. If we can model chemistry with greater fidelity and efficiency, we can make better decisions earlier in the process. This collaboration allows us to rigorously test whether quantum algorithms can move from the stage of scientific promise to that of practical utility on concrete problems. ” Baptiste Claudon, quantum physics engineer at Qubit Pharmaceuticals : “ We are interested in much more than reference circuits or abstract demonstrations. Our goal is to implement algorithms capable of solving real computational bottlenecks in chemistry. Working with CQT and Quantinuum’s hardware gives us the opportunity to evaluate these methods under realistic conditions and understand what is needed to make them useful for molecular discovery .” In the longer term, the team aims to generate molecular simulation data directly produced by quantum algorithms and to integrate these capabilities into future drug discovery processes.
Matt Swayne LinkedIn With a several-decades long background in journalism and communications, Matt Swayne has worked as a science communicator for an R1 university for more than 12 years, specializing in translating high tech and deep tech for the general audience. He has served as a writer, editor and analyst at The Quantum Insider since its inception. In addition to his service as a science communicator, Matt also develops courses to improve the media and communications skills of scientists and has taught courses. matt@thequantuminsider.com Share this article: