The companies using AI to discover and design new drugs

Artificial Intelligence and biotechnology are converging to create breakthrough developments in drug discovery and clinical treatments, with multiple companies reporting significant progress in AI-designed therapeutics.

Major breakthrough in AI drug development: Insilico Medicine has announced promising results from a clinical trial of its AI-designed drug ISM001-055, targeting idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a devastating lung condition affecting approximately 100,000 Americans.

• The phase IIa study included 71 patients across different dosage groups, with the highest dose group showing improved lung function compared to placebo
• Most reported side effects were mild to moderate across all patient groups
• Patients receiving the 60mg dose demonstrated enhanced quality of life metrics

Enveda’s nature-inspired AI approach: Colorado-based Enveda has launched its first clinical trial for ENV-294, representing a novel fusion of traditional medicine and advanced AI technology.

• The company uses AI models trained on biological data to identify therapeutic compounds found in nature
• Their innovative approach employs mass spectrometry and transformer models to rapidly analyze natural compounds
• ENV-294, derived from plant-based anti-inflammatory molecules, offers a potentially safer alternative to existing treatments

Industry partnerships and investments: Several major developments highlight growing confidence in AI-powered drug discovery platforms.

• Genesis Therapeutics secured investment from Nvidia’s venture capital arm
• Novartis initiated a collaboration with Schrödinger worth potentially $2.3 billion
• GSK partnered with Vesalius Therapeutics in an $80 million upfront deal for Parkinson’s disease treatment development

Breakthrough research in GLP-1 medications: A comprehensive study from Finnish and Swedish researchers reveals unexpected benefits of common diabetes and obesity medications.

• Analysis of 220,000 patients with alcohol use disorder showed reduced alcohol-related hospitalizations among those taking semaglutide or liraglutide
• The 17-year study provides compelling data, though researchers emphasize the need for dedicated clinical trials
• These findings suggest potential new applications for existing GLP-1 medications

Looking ahead: AI’s expanding role in healthcare: While early results from AI-designed drugs show promise, the industry is still in its early stages of leveraging artificial intelligence for drug discovery and development, with many questions remaining about long-term efficacy and scalability of these approaches.