Algorithmiq, Cleveland Clinic and IBM win $2 million Q4Bio prize
Algorithmiq, Cleveland Clinic and IBM earned the $2 million Q4Bio prize after using quantum computing to simulate key processes in photodynamic therapy. The Wellcome Leap program launched with $40 million in funding, and five of six Phase III finalists used IBM quantum hardware.
Algorithmiq, in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic and IBM, earned the $2 million Q4Bio prize. The winning project used quantum computing to simulate key processes in photodynamic therapy (PDT), a cancer treatment based on light-activated drugs. The program launched in 2023 with twelve research teams from around the world receiving access to a combined $40 million in funding, and by March 2026 that group had narrowed to six Phase III finalists.
The non-profit Wellcome Leap established the Quantum for Bio (Q4Bio) Supported Challenge Program to identify, develop, and demonstrate quantum algorithms for human health applications that have the potential to run on near-term quantum computers expected to arrive in the next three to five years. To be eligible for the $2 million Phase III award, participating teams needed to demonstrate algorithms using more than 50 qubits and circuit depths on the order 1,000 to 10,000 gates while also showing a clear path to scaling.
Five of the six Phase III finalist teams used IBM quantum computers to generate their results, underscoring the role of “utility-scale” quantum computers with 100+ qubits in tackling demanding problems at the intersection of quantum information science and real-world use cases. The results from these multidisciplinary, multi-organizational teams span drug discovery, genomics, biomarkers, and fundamental biochemistry.
Algorithmiq developed an end-to-end hybrid quantum-classical framework in which novel methods for active space selection, state preparation, measurement, and post-processing enabled large-scale molecular electronic structure simulations on IBM’s quantum hardware. By executing circuits for ground- and excited-state experiments on up to 100 qubits, the teams demonstrated a scalable path toward quantum advantage in drug discovery and development.
Another Phase III effort, the Quantum Pangenomics project from the University of Oxford and Sanger Institute, focused on converting genome problems to quadratic unconstrained binary optimization (QUBO) formulations. As part of their efforts, the team used an IBM Quantum Heron r2 to encode the Hepatitis-D genome. In their workflow, classical systems handle problem formulation, iteration, and analysis, and quantum hardware is invoked for the most computationally challenging subproblems.