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This study applies quantum annealing to solve the combinatorial challenge of identifying effective drug combinations by modeling disease modules within the human protein-protein interactome. The research translates biological principles into a quadratic unconstrained binary optimization problem, demonstrating that simulated low-energy configurations align with biologically plausible therapeutic candidates for conditions like diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. While the clinical applications are significant, the core contribution lies in leveraging quantum algorithms to navigate complex pharmacological search spaces more efficiently than classical methods.
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Network-based prediction of drug combinations with quantum annealing

arXiv2 min read

arXiv:2512.20199v2 Announce Type: replace Abstract: The systematic discovery of effective drug combinations is a challenging problem in modern pharmacology, driven by the combinatorial growth of potential pairings and dosage configurations. Network medicine, modeling diseases and drugs as interconnected modules of the human protein-protein interactome, has emerged as a new paradigm for understanding disease mechanisms and drug action. In this work, we propose a quantum annealing-based algorithm for identifying effective drug combinations. Underlying our approach is the biologically motivated principle of `Complementary Exposure', which posits that therapeutic drug combinations target distinct yet complementary regions of a disease module. We translate this into a quadratic unconstrained binary optimisation problem. We test our method for Diabetes Mellitus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Asthma, and Brain Neoplasms, relying on experimentally validated drug combinations for these diseases. Our simulated quantum annealing experiments reveal that low-energy configurations align with biologically plausible combinations which may serve as prioritized candidates for subsequent experimental validation.

Abstract:The systematic discovery of effective drug combinations is a challenging problem in modern pharmacology, driven by the combinatorial growth of potential pairings and dosage configurations. Network medicine, modeling diseases and drugs as interconnected modules of the human protein-protein interactome, has emerged as a new paradigm for understanding disease mechanisms and drug action. In this work, we propose a quantum annealing-based algorithm for identifying effective drug combinations. Underlying our approach is the biologically motivated principle of `Complementary Exposure', which posits that therapeutic drug combinations target distinct yet complementary regions of a disease module. We translate this into a quadratic unconstrained binary optimisation problem. We test our method for Diabetes Mellitus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Asthma, and Brain Neoplasms, relying on experimentally validated drug combinations for these diseases. Our simulated quantum annealing experiments reveal that low-energy configurations align with biologically plausible combinations which may serve as prioritized candidates for subsequent experimental validation.

arXiv:2512.20199 [quant-ph]

(or arXiv:2512.20199v2 [quant-ph] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2512.20199 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite

Quantum Mach. Intell. 8, 70 (2026)

https://doi.org/10.1007/s42484-026-00411-7 Focus to learn more DOI(s) linking to related resources

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Full text under the publisher's open licence · 253 words

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