RECURSION
Overview
RECURSION is an AI-driven drug discovery and development platform developed by Recursion Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage TechBio company. The platform, known as the Recursion OS, integrates automated experimental biology, high-content imaging, machine learning, and computational chemistry. It is designed to accelerate the identification of novel drug targets and the design of optimized molecules.
The tool is primarily for researchers and pharmaceutical companies involved in drug discovery and early development, particularly in areas of high unmet medical need such as oncology and rare diseases. Recursion itself is advancing an internal pipeline of drug candidates and collaborates with larger pharmaceutical companies.
Within a research and development workflow, RECURSION aims to industrialize drug discovery by generating and analyzing massive proprietary biological and chemical datasets. This involves conducting millions of wet lab experiments weekly using robotics and computer vision, with the results feeding back into the Recursion OS for continuous improvement. The platform leverages machine learning models and large language models to uncover biological and chemical insights.
Notable capabilities include the ability to identify novel disease targets and precision-design drug candidates. The Recursion OS has been used to accelerate the timeline from target identification to Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies. The company also utilizes its platform to support clinical trial workflows, for example, by creating real-time clinical monitoring portals to expedite dose escalation meetings. Recursion has developed BioHive-2, a powerful supercomputer, to process its extensive data.
Reviewed by Pouyan Golshani, MD — Interventional Radiologist
Key Features
- AI-native, end-to-end drug discovery and development platform (Recursion OS)
- Integration of machine learning, automation, and biological experimentation
- Proprietary biological and chemical datasets (>50 petabytes)
- Automated wet lab capable of millions of cell experiments per week
- BioHive-2 supercomputer (in collaboration with NVIDIA)
- Large language model (LLM) LOWE for workflow orchestration
- Pipeline of potential first-in-class and best-in-class treatments
- Strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical and technology leaders
- Phenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and ADME data integration
- Identification of novel drug targets and optimized molecules
Use Cases
- Accelerating drug discovery and development
- Identifying novel therapeutic targets for various diseases
- Developing treatments for aggressive cancers
- Developing treatments for rare diseases
- Optimizing clinical trials
- Drug repurposing
What Physicians Need to Know
Physicians should be aware that Recursion's platform is primarily focused on the early stages of drug discovery, specifically target identification and lead optimization, by leveraging AI and automation to accelerate the discovery of new medicines. While not directly involved in clinical trial matching or real-world evidence analysis in a patient-facing capacity, their work aims to bring more effective therapies to clinical trials faster. Understanding the AI-driven approach to target identification can provide insight into the rationale behind novel therapeutic candidates emerging from their pipeline.
Recursion's platform, the Recursion OS, is an integrated system that combines in-house automated wet-labs with a computational drug discovery platform. This allows for seamless integration of experimental data generation and AI-driven analysis within their own ecosystem. They have also formed strategic collaborations, such as with NVIDIA, to further enhance their AI models and accelerate drug discovery, indicating a focus on integrating advanced computational capabilities and potentially external data sources into their platform.
Details
| Category | Drug Discovery & Research |
| Pricing | Contact for pricing |
| Deployment | Cloud-based |
| Compliance | |
| BAA Available | Unknown AI-estimated |
| HIPAA Compliant | Unknown AI-estimated |
| FDA Status |
1 AI-estimated Recursion has received FDA clearance for Investigational New Drug (IND) applications for several of its drug candidates, including REC-994 for cerebral cavernous malformation and REC-1245 for biomarker-enriched solid tumors and lymphoma, allowing them to proceed with clinical trials. |
| Integrations | |
| EHR | Not specified |
| Specialties | Infectious Disease, Neurology, Oncology |
What the Web Says
Recursion is a TechBio company aiming to revolutionize drug discovery using AI, machine learning, and automated wet labs. They focus on identifying biological drivers of disease and developing therapies for aggressive cancers and rare diseases. While the company has promising technology and partnerships, it faces challenges in demonstrating clinical efficacy and achieving profitability. Employee reviews are mixed, with some praising the culture and benefits, while others criticize management and work-life balance.
Overall: MixedStrengths
- Innovative AI-driven approach to drug discovery with potential to reduce failure rates and accelerate development.
- Strong partnerships with pharmaceutical leaders like Merck and Roche.
- Advanced pipeline of potential first-in-class and best-in-class therapies.
- Mission-driven organization with a focus on solving hard biological problems.
- Collaborative and interdisciplinary culture with opportunities for learning and growth (according to some employees).
- Good benefits and pay (according to some employees).
Limitations
- Lack of demonstrated clinical wins and products on the market.
- High cash burn and operational expenses, with the company not yet profitable.
- Reliance on unproven technologies and clinical programs.
- Mixed employee reviews regarding work-life balance, management, and job security.
- Underwhelming efficacy results in early clinical trials for some candidates.
- Potential for regulatory and competitive obstacles in the AI-driven drug discovery market.
Based on reviews from: Indeed.com, Reddit, SourceForge, DirectorsTalk Interviews, The Motley Fool, Fierce Biotech, Stock Titan
Last updated: 2026-06-24
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Press & Coverage
Videos
Product demos, reviews, and walkthroughs for RECURSION.
Recursion Pharmaceuticals CEO Chris Gibson goes one-on-one with Jim Cramer
CNBC Television
Recursion CEO on $688M Exscientia acquisition: Hope to bring better medicines to patients sooner
CNBC Television
Recursion Thinks AI Can Lower The High Failure Rate Of New Pharmaceutical Drugs
Forbes
Lightning Round: Recursion Pharmaceuticals and NuScale Power
CNBC Television
Lightning Round: Recursion Pharma is now a meme stock, says Jim Cramer
CNBC Television
The Identity Crisis of Recursion Pharmaceuticals, RXRX
Future Ready
Frequently Asked Questions
Investors who backed RECURSION
Funded through the company that built this tool.
