Currently, the process of developing new drugs is frustratingly slow, costly, and risky.
It usually takes more than 10 years and over $2.3B to bring a successful drug to market, and in fact, 90 per cent of drug candidates fail before they get to patients.
Many of these failures could have been avoided if we had better data to address safety and effectiveness concerns.
Additionally, a substantial amount of valuable biomedical information (nearly 90 per cent) is not utilised in critical decision-making processes, leaving experts with incomplete information.
As a result, this means that many potentially life-saving treatments never make it to the people who need them.
Here’s where ArcaScience comes in!
Contentlockr
Addressing the bottleneck in drug development
Founded to address this critical bottleneck in drug development, ArcaScience has pioneered the development of AI to radically improve benefit-risk assessments for pharmaceuticals & regulators, empowering both clinical teams and patients.
The company does this by using AI to transform unstructured biomedical data into benefit-risk predictions.
This helps pharmaceutical companies better evaluate drug candidates.
In this edition of “What’s in a Name,” we spoke to Romain Clement, founder of ArcaScience, to learn more about the inspiration behind the name and how the process reflects the company’s broader mission and vision.
Inspired by Aaron Swartz
Romain explains that their choice was never random. It carried a personal connection and a nod to someone who shaped their worldview.
“We chose “Arca” in tribute to Aaron Swartz—“the Internet’s Own Boy”—whose commitment to open knowledge shaped a generation. In Latin, arca means an ark or chest: a vessel for what must be preserved and put to use. The more legendary echo is the Ark of the Covenant and Aaron, its first guardian, a symbol of stewardship and integrity,” says
He believes that it reflects their ethos — to safeguard the world’s biomedical evidence and transform it into actionable, patient-centred insights, enabling drug developers to assess benefit-risk instantly and advance therapies responsibly.
A name aligned with purpose
He believes the name goes beyond just identity. The name reflects their mission in healthcare and the role they want to play in drug development.
“In a world where drug development is slow, risky, and often blind to emerging evidence, ArcaScience brings clarity. We decode the biomedical statistics, real-world evidence, and clinical trials into a living benefit-risk framework that helps pharma make faster, safer, and smarter decisions — for patients and for progress,” he explains.
“We stand at the intersection of open science and industrial impact. Where Aaron fought to free knowledge, Arca gives it purpose,” he adds.
Finding the name
Choosing a name from thousands of ideas usually takes time, involving meetings and jotting down lists. However, for Arca, the naming process was surprisingly straightforward.
“When it came to finding a name, it was obvious that we wanted to pay tribute to Aaron Swartz. From there, we found it easily,” says Romain.
Domain name and trademarking
For many startups, securing a domain and trademark can be complicated. For Arca, both decisions were quick and easy.
Romain explains, “It wasn’t important at all. We knew we wanted an .ai domain, which was extremely rare at that time.” He adds, “It wasn’t a problem for us since our chosen name, along with the .ai domain, was still available.”
Looking ahead
According to Romain, the name gives them flexibility for the future, and they have already considered options as they grow.
“Yes, we have already discussed using the second part, which is now ‘Science’, as a market-specific approach. Our technology could apply to other domains, but we will remain focused on healthcare at least until we have realised our vision completely.”
Does the name matter?
While the name has a value, Romain emphasises that people, not branding, determine a company’s success.
“No, it’s the people that are, were, and will be in the company, as a whole, that made, make and will make its success. The name is only a vessel for a vision that we all share and value,” he concludes.
