💊 AI-Developed Drugs Are Coming: AI-Accelerated Drug Discovery
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All right, everybody, buckle up, because today we are diving into a topic that's just straight up mind-blowing.

Drugs designed by artificial intelligence. And that's not hyperbole. Yeah, no, I mean, we're talking potentially life-saving treatments for some of the toughest diseases out there. Things that have stumped scientists for decades. Things that affect millions of people. Exactly. Exactly. And it's not some far-off future fantasy. This is happening right now. It is. We've got actual companies, real-world trials, biopsychiatry.

the whole nine yards. So for our deep dive today, we've got a bunch of articles from some pretty reputable sources. Nature, the Wall Street Journal, MIT Technology Review, that sort of thing. The good stuff. And these sources all point to something pretty incredible. We are on the cusp of a revolution in healthcare thanks to AI. Yeah, I'd say cusp is accurate. It's early days, but

But the potential is immense. Absolutely. OK, so before we get too deep in the weeds, let's lay some groundwork for anybody who might be new to this whole AI drug discovery thing. Right. So basically, instead of scientists spending years in the lab testing thousands of compounds. Sometimes millions. Yeah, it's a very time consuming, expensive process. Super expensive. Billions of dollars. AI comes in and basically acts like a super powered research assistant. Right.

Right. And it can analyze massive amounts of data way more than any human could in a lifetime. Exactly. And it can pinpoint those promising drug candidates super fast.

It spots patterns, sees connections that we might miss, and then predicts which molecules are most likely to be effective against a specific disease. Right. So it's not just speed, it's efficiency too. And that I think is what's really revolutionary here. Like we're not just talking about making drug discovery faster. We're talking about potentially targeting diseases we thought were untreatable.

Precisely. Okay, so enough with the theory. Let's talk about who's actually doing this. Right. So there's a few major players, but today let's focus on two that are doing some seriously groundbreaking work.

Yeah. And just for context, DeepMind, they're a big game in the field. They're definitely doing some cool stuff. But we're going to skip over them a bit today to focus on the two companies our sources really highlight. Right. So first up, we've got Isomorphic Labs. Now, these guys are backed by Alphabet. Google's

parent company. Exactly. So, you know, they've got some serious resources behind them. Oh, yeah. Big time. And get this. They are on the verge of starting human trials for AI developed drugs. This is huge. It is. And not only that, they've partnered with some heavy hitters in the pharmaceutical industry like Eli Lilly and Novartis. Yeah. I mean, when you've got those companies on board, you know, you're on to something big. Definitely gives you a sense of the industry buy in here. Totally. So

Their secret weapon, if you will, is this AI platform they call AlphaFold. And this thing is incredible. It can predict protein structures. With unbelievable accuracy. Like it's blown scientists away with how good it is. And that's key because proteins are involved in pretty much every biological process in our bodies.

Right. So if you can understand how proteins are structured, you can start to figure out how to design drugs that target them. In isomorphic labs, they're using alpha-fold to go after some of the toughest diseases out there. Cancer, neurodegenerative conditions, you name it. And these are diseases that affect real people. Like, these aren't just abstract concepts. Millions of people worldwide suffer from these conditions, and for many of them, treatment options are limited. Exactly.

Exactly. And that's what makes this so potentially game changing. Yeah, it's about offering hope where there might not have been any before. So that's isomorphic labs. Now, let's move on to another company that's doing some seriously impressive stuff in silico medicine.

These guys are remarkable. They've actually got an AI-designed drug already in clinical trial. Which is a first, by the way. It is. A major milestone in the field. And this is for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which, for those who don't know, is a serious lung disease. It causes scarring in the lungs, making it incredibly hard to breathe. And they're also trialing it for inflammatory bowel disease. Which affects millions worldwide. And the early results...

They look promising. They do. So again, this is years ahead of what most experts thought was possible. Right. And it really highlights the potential of AI to like completely accelerate this whole drug development process. So in silico medicine, their approach is a bit different from isomorphic labs. Yeah. They're using AI for processing.

pretty much every stage of drug development. From analyzing patient data to identifying drug targets to actually designing the drug molecules themselves. A whole shebang. It's a very comprehensive approach. So we've got two companies here, both using AI in different ways. Isomorphic Labs, they're really focused on that

protein structure angle with AlphaFold. And in silico medicine, they're taking a more holistic approach using AI across the board. And both are achieving some pretty remarkable results. It's pretty mind blowing, to be honest. I mean, when you think about the implications. It is. The potential is really enormous. Like imagine a world where treatments for cancer, Alzheimer's, all these currently incurable diseases are readily available.

It's a world with less suffering, longer lifespans, healthier populations. And it might not be that far off. No, I don't think it is. Which is incredibly exciting. It is. But, and I think it's important to acknowledge this, there are also some serious ethical considerations here. Yeah. Like any powerful technology, we have to think about

how AI is used in drug development. We need to make sure these advancements benefit everyone. Absolutely. And that it doesn't exacerbate existing healthcare inequalities. Right. Accessibility is a huge issue. Totally.

So as we move forward into this brave new world of AI-designed drugs. It's a brave new world for sure. It's crucial that we have these conversations about ethics, about access, about responsible development. Yeah, it's not just about the science. It's about how we use the science to create a better future for everyone. Food for thought for sure. Thanks for joining us on this deep dive. We'll catch you next time. See you then.