Anthropic has confirmed it operates a physical biology laboratory in the San Francisco Bay Area where it uses Claude AI models to conduct experiments, marking a significant expansion into hands-on scientific research as the company pursues drug development applications.
Pathos AI announced two significant licensing agreements for breast cancer treatments: a $2.2 billion deal with China's Alphamab Oncology for bispecific ADC JSKN016 targeting triple-negative breast cancer, and a co-exclusive agreement with AstraZeneca for ERα degrader AZD4241 for ER-positive breast cancer. The company is reportedly planning to raise a Series E round at a $3 billion valuation.
British biotech firm Relation Therapeutics has entered into a research collaboration with pharmaceutical giant GSK worth up to $110 million to generate human cellular datasets and train AI models for identifying potential new drug targets.
Stanford Medicine scientists have identified a naturally occurring peptide called BRP that suppresses appetite and reduces body weight in animal studies, potentially offering similar benefits to drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy but without side effects such as nausea, digestive issues, and muscle loss. The molecule was discovered using artificial intelligence algorithms.
Insilico Medicine CEO Alex Zhavoronkov told Reuters that the company typically reaches a developmental drug candidate in 13 months, with a record of nine months, by combining AI with its research operations in China. Reuters reported that China has become a major hub for next-generation medicine development, aided by lower research costs and streamlined regulation.
