Signal IBM and Moderna ran the largest quantum protein folding simulation to date in 2025

Summary

The report points to specific partnerships as evidence that quantum simulation for drug discovery is becoming practical. In 2025, IBM and Moderna completed what the report describes as the largest protein folding and mRNA simulation yet run on a quantum computer. Only a few years earlier, such a milestone had been out of reach. In France, the start-ups Pasqal and Qubit Pharmaceuticals are taking a different route. They use neutral atom quantum computers to search for small-molecule drugs, with backing from the Wellcome Trust. The report credits improved error correction and hybrid quantum-classical architectures with making these projects possible.