South Korean quantum computing firm Norma has reported a dramatic performance leap in drug development, achieving over 73× faster results by running its quantum AI algorithms on NVIDIA GH200 Grace Hopper Superchips. The breakthrough comes via testing on NVIDIA’s CUDA-Q platform, which streamlines integration between GPUs and QPUs and enables hybrid quantum-classical operations.
Quantum AI Meets Drug Discovery
The project, conducted in partnership with Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, targeted the discovery of novel drug candidates—a field notorious for massive chemical search spaces that challenge traditional AI methods. Norma’s team deployed custom quantum AI algorithms, including QLSTM, QGAN, and QCBM, which are trained and validated using quantum simulators. CUDA-Q’s performance significantly outpaced these simulators, offering faster, more realistic algorithm verification prior to deployment on actual quantum hardware.
Performance Gains Across Key Metrics
Testing revealed that forward propagation of an 18-qubit quantum circuit ran 60× to 73× faster than CPU-based methods, while backward propagation (loss-function correction) accelerated by 34× to 42×. Comparisons between NVIDIA H200 and GH200 chips showed that GH200 cut forward propagation times by 22% and backward propagation times by 24%, underscoring the chip’s edge in quantum-classical hybrid workloads.
Implications Beyond Healthcare
Beyond cost and time savings, the project demonstrates the practical viability of quantum AI in real-world applications, potentially paving the way for broader adoption in biotechnology, defense, and finance. The findings offer a template for accelerating algorithm development while mitigating the resource constraints of classical computation.
Norma CEO Hyunchul Jung highlighted the significance of cross-industry collaboration, stating, “This project is a meaningful example of collaboration between domestic and international quantum technology companies and hospitals, showcasing the practical potential of quantum technologies.” He added that Norma plans to expand performance testing of quantum AI algorithms across multiple sectors, leveraging partnerships with NVIDIA.
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