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AI: Industrial depth to help lower costs overseas人工智能产业纵深发展,助力海外产品降价China's vision to turn artificial intelligence from an expensive frontier technology into a resource for affordable, widely accessible applications will bring huge benefits to more countries, businesses and ordinary people worldwide, said leading industry experts and company executives.业内权威专家与企业高管表示,中国提出愿景:将人工智能从成本高昂的前沿技术,转化为普惠亲民、随处可用的基础资源,这将为全球更多国家、企业与普通民众带来巨大红利。They made the comments on Tuesday after President Xi Jinping, in his keynote speech on Friday at the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, said that AI should be developed "for the positive, for good and for humanity".本周二,一众业内人士发表上述观点。此前,习近平主席于周五在上海2026世界人工智能大会暨全球人工智能治理高级别会议发表主旨演讲,提出人工智能发展要“向上向善、造福人类”。"AI development should not be a solo performance by a single country, but a symphony of international cooperation," Xi said.习近平主席指出:“人工智能发展不应是一国独奏,而应是国际合作的交响。”He called for coordinated advances in the transformation and upgrade of traditional industries, the cultivation and growth of emerging industries, and forward-looking planning for future industries, so that all sectors and businesses can benefit from AI.他呼吁协同推进传统产业转型升级、培育壮大新兴产业、前瞻布局未来产业,让各行各业、各类市场主体都能共享人工智能发展红利。Long Yongtu, China's former chief negotiator for its accession to the World Trade Organization, said the rise of AI has become another turning point in the country's economic development.前中国入世首席谈判代表龙永图表示,人工智能的崛起,是中国经济发展的又一个转折点。He said that China's entry into the WTO in 2001 unleashed the vitality of millions of market participants after restrictions on foreign trade rights were relaxed, helping the country grow into the world's largest trader in goods and allowing ordinary people to increase their income through international commerce.他谈到,2001年中国加入世界贸易组织,外贸经营权限制放宽,激活了千万市场主体活力,推动中国成为全球第一货物贸易大国,普通人也得以通过国际贸易增收致富。"Now, entering the age of AI heralds a new era of opening-up. AI is triggering a similarly profound transformation by reshaping production relationships, corporate structures and the cost of starting a business in the country," Long said.龙永图称:“如今,人工智能时代的到来,开启对外开放全新阶段。人工智能重塑国内生产关系、企业组织模式与创业成本,带来同样深刻的变革。”According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China has embraced AI with open arms, with the value of its core AI industries exceeding 1.2 trillion yuan ($177 billion) last year, maintaining annual growth of more than 20 percent for several consecutive years.工信部数据显示,中国全面拥抱人工智能产业。去年我国人工智能核心产业规模突破1.2万亿元(折合1770亿美元),连续多年保持20%以上年增速。Furthermore, the country is seeking to turn AI into real-world applications and a driver of economic growth.除此之外,中国着力推动人工智能落地实景应用,使之成为经济增长核心引擎。In the first half of this year, the industrial output of AI-related sectors, including integrated circuit manufacturing and in-vehicle intelligent equipment manufacturing, grew more than 30 percent.今年上半年,集成电路制造、车载智能装备制造等人工智能相关产业工业产值同比增长超30%。Long predicted that more individuals and small, specialized companies that use AI to perform work that previously required much larger organizations will emerge to become new drivers of the economy.龙永图预判,未来会涌现大量个体从业者与专精小企业,依托人工智能完成过去大型机构才能承接的业务,成为经济增长新动力。"Success should ultimately be judged not by model rankings or investment valuations, but by whether AI really improves people's lives," he added.他补充道:“评判AI发展成败,最终不在于大模型榜单、企业估值高低,而在于人工智能是否真正改善民生。”Efforts to push AI beyond chatbots and benchmark rankings into the physical economy include China's "AI Plus" initiative, which seeks to embed AI in manufacturing, finance, healthcare, energy and public services.中国推出“人工智能+”行动,推动人工智能跳出聊天机器人、模型榜单的局限,深度融入实体经济,赋能制造、金融、医疗、能源、公共服务各大领域。President Xi also said in his speech that China should facilitate technological innovation, industrial development and "scenario-based application of AI".习近平主席在演讲中同时提出,中国要统筹推进人工智能技术创新、产业培育与场景落地应用。Huo Fupeng, director of the innovation-driven development center of the National Development and Reform Commission, said that "China is leveraging its complete industrial system, enormous range of application scenarios and super-sized market to accelerate AI's deployment across thousands of industries".国家发改委创新驱动发展中心主任霍福鹏表示:“中国依托完备工业体系、海量应用场景与超大规模市场优势,加速人工智能向千行百业渗透落地。”"Its dense industrial supply chains and vast domestic market give developers an environment in which technologies can be tested, refined and deployed at scale," he said.他表示,国内完备密集的产业链、广阔内需市场,为技术研发方提供了可大规模测试、迭代、落地技术的优质环境。Data from Counterpoint Research showed that approximately 16,000 humanoid robots were deployed globally in 2025, with China accounting for more than 80 percent of them.市场研究机构Counterpoint数据显示,2025年全球落地部署人形机器人约1.6万台,其中中国占比超八成。At the World AI Conference, Chinese robotics company PrimeBOT unveiled a new, transformable robot that is capable of switching between quadruped and humanoid forms.本届世界人工智能大会上,国产机器人企业上纬启元发布一款全新变形机器人,可在四足形态与人形形态之间自由切换。Tian Hua, CEO of leading materials maker Swancor Advanced Materials Co and head of PrimeBOT, said: "The robotics supply chain comprises more than 1,600 components. At least 1,000 companies are capable of building a robot globally, but only a handful can manufacture 10,000 robots at consistent quality and scale."知名材料企业上纬新材CEO、上纬启元负责人田华表示:“机器人产业链包含1600余种零部件。全球至少有上千家企业能造出单台机器人,但仅有少数企业可实现万台级、品质稳定的规模化量产。”"That's China's advantage — transforming personal robots from custom-built machines into mass-produced consumer products," he said. "We are also confident of making such robots really affordable for ordinary people."他称:“这正是中国的核心优势——将定制化私人机器人转化为规模化量产民用消费品。我们有信心让普通人都能负担得起这类机器人。”Such industrial depth could also help lower the cost of AI products for overseas users. While global attention has focused on Western technology companies competing for lucrative enterprise contracts in the United States and the Middle East, Chinese companies are promoting open-source products across developing countries.完善的产业纵深优势,同样能降低海外用户购买人工智能产品的成本。全球目光多聚焦西方科技企业争夺欧美、中东高利润企业订单,而中国企业正面向广大发展中国家推广开源AI产品。Alex Zhavoronkov, founder and CEO of AI-driven drug discovery company Insilico Medicine, said China's emphasis on open-source development will amplify those gains internationally.人工智能药物研发企业英矽智能创始人兼首席执行官亚历克斯·扎沃隆科夫表示,中国大力发展开源技术,将在全球范围内放大人工智能普惠效益。"China is already leading the world in the open-source model," he said.他说:“中国的开源发展模式已走在全球前列。”"The Chinese approach and its AI policies are paving the way for the entire industry, and everyone on the planet will benefit."“中国的发展路径与人工智能相关政策,为全行业开辟发展道路,全球所有人都将从中受益。”humanoid /ˈhjuːmənɔɪd/人形机器人quadruped /ˈkwɒdruped/四足机器人transformable /trænsˈfɔːməbl/可切换形态的(机器人)industrial depth产业纵深、完整产业链配套能力open-source /ˌəʊpən ˈsɔːs/开源人工智能模型scenario-based /səˈnɑːriəʊ beɪst/面向真实生活、产业场景落地的(AI应用)
Send us Fan MailIf AI is already being used across the drug development pipeline, why hasn't its impact matched the investment?AI can help researchers review scientific literature, predict protein structures, prioritize molecules, assess toxicity, support clinical trials, and monitor adverse events. But access to better tools doesn't automatically create better drugs.In this episode, I speak with Thibault Geoui, Science CDO and host of the Tech & Drugs Podcast, about where AI is making a practical difference in drug discovery and development—and where the results remain limited. We map AI across the full drug development funnel, from basic research and target identification to preclinical testing, clinical trials, regulatory documentation, commercialization, and pharmacovigilance.We also discuss why digital-native tech-bio companies may be better positioned to benefit from AI than traditional pharmaceutical organizations. The difference isn't simply the model. It's how data, people, laboratory experiments, and AI tools are connected inside the workflow.For digital pathology professionals, the conversation becomes especially relevant when we examine AI-powered biomarker development, the role of pathology in pharmaceutical research, and the Roche–PathAI case discussed in the episode.And, of course, we talk about the problem every AI user eventually faces: an answer can look polished, specific, and completely convincing—and still be wrong.Episode Highlights00:00 — When convincing AI output creates more work Why AI can accelerate information generation while increasing the time required for review and verification.02:15 — From structural biology to science and technology leadership Thibault shares his background in X-ray crystallography, structural biology, scientific data, and digital product development.15:36 — Understanding the drug discovery and development funnel How thousands of potential compounds are narrowed down through discovery, preclinical research, clinical trials, and approval.20:00 — AI for scientific literature review How alerts, filtering, summarization, and information extraction can help researchers manage a rapidly growing scientific literature base.22:32 — AlphaFold and protein structure prediction What faster access to predicted protein structures changes for researchers—and why structural prediction alone doesn't solve drug discovery.24:13 — Searching an enormous chemical space How AI can help design and prioritize potential molecules for synthesis and experimental testing.25:50 — Predicting efficacy and toxicity Where AI supports preclinical research, why the models remain imperfect, and why experimental validation still matters.29:38 — Has AI changed drug development outcomes yet? A practical discussion about drug approval rates, AI investment, uneven returns, and the difference between deploying a tool and integrating it into a process.34:33 — Why traditional pharma struggles to scale AI Siloed data, legacy systems, organizational complexity, and the need to build reusable data workflows.37:57 — The “lab in the loop” model How tech-bio companies connect AI predictions with wet-lab experiments and feed the new data back into their models.44:37 — Can tech-bio companies shorten development timelines? How digital-native organizations are changing parts of the discovery and preclinical process.58:00 — AI, pharma, and digital pathology What the Roche–PathAI case discussed in the episode may indicate about the role of pathology data, biomarker discovery, and pharmaceutical workflows.01:06:17 — AI errors in regulated environments Why responsibility remains with the person or company submitting AI-assisted work, regardless of which tool produced it.01:17:37 — The growing cost of AI tools Subscriptions, token limits, model selection, AI orchestrators, and the need to use expensive tools more intentionally.01:27:50 — What successful AI adoption requires Starting with focused pilots, training scientists and technologists together, and treating implementation as organizational change.01:30:26 — The AI quirks that still frustrate users Hallucinated information, ignored writing instructions, stylistic habits, and poor awareness of time and context.The episode's timestamped themes and examples are documented in the supplied summary. The broader discussion covers AI from literature mining and molecular design through clinical development and post-market monitoring. Resources Mentioned Thibault Geoui's LinkedIn profile Tech & Drugs PodcastMIT NANDA study on generative AI implementation and return on investment Insilico Medicine as an example of a digital-native tech-bio company AI is already changing how scientific work gets done. The bigger question is whether organizations can redesign their workflows, train their teams, and maintain the human oversight needed to use it well.Listen to the full episode for a practical look at AI in drug discovery, drug development, and digital pathology.Support the showGet the "Digital Pathology 101" FREE E-book and join us!
This recording with Alex Zhavoronkov is from our Longevity Biotechnology seminar series, hosted online on June 18th, 2026. View the talk along with the visual presentation on our Youtube channel.Alex Zhavoronkov is the founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine, a clinical-stage biotech building AI platforms for drug discovery and aging research. In this talk, Alex breaks down what a genuinely scalable AI-first biotech looks like from the inside: how to measure scientific productivity with rigorous benchmarks, how to balance internal program progression with licensing, and how to build an AI platform that compounds value with every drug it runs. Drawing on his experience at Insilico, he makes the case for a new model of biotech that can grow, learn, and sustain itself over time.If you want to join future seminars live, the schedule is at foresight.org and in our Luma calendar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Good morning from Pharma Daily: the podcast that brings you the most important developments in the pharmaceutical and biotech world. Today, we explore the latest advancements shaping the future of drug discovery and patient care. Veradermics is making significant strides with its oral minoxidil formulation aimed at addressing female pattern hair loss. The mid-stage clinical trial results have analysts optimistic about Veradermics' potential to capture a significant portion of this underserved market. The oral form of minoxidil, traditionally used in topical Rogaine products, offers a novel delivery method that could enhance patient adherence and improve outcomes, marking an innovative leap in dermatological treatments. Johnson & Johnson is navigating the expiration of Stelara's patent protection with resilience, as Tremfya steps up to fill the revenue gap. With quarterly sales exceeding $2 billion, Tremfya underscores the critical role of strategic lifecycle management and robust product pipelines in weathering patent cliffs. This success highlights the necessity for pharmaceutical companies to sustain growth through a well-rounded portfolio that can absorb such impacts. In oncology, Celcuity has achieved a pivotal milestone with FDA approval for its small molecule inhibitor targeting breast cancer. This therapy promises blockbuster potential and could become a new standard-of-care, expanding treatment options for patients. The approval reflects ongoing innovation in oncology, where small molecules continue to play an essential role alongside biologics in advancing cancer therapies. AI-driven drug discovery is gaining traction as Insilico Medicine partners with CDMO Bora in a potentially $2.5 billion deal. This collaboration underscores AI's transformative potential in accelerating drug discovery and development processes. By leveraging artificial intelligence, Insilico aims to identify new drug candidates more efficiently, expediting their journey from bench to bedside. Kelun-Biotech is marking significant progress with its SAC-TMT program targeting non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), filling gaps left by Merck's phase 3 efforts. This development is crucial for providing more tailored therapeutic options in oncology, illustrating how advancements in drug development are driving forward personalized medicine. Roche continues its exploration of Alzheimer's disease treatments with a multifaceted approach that includes both amyloid and tau proteins as targets. While its phase 3 amyloid program is prominent, Roche's interest in tau protein highlights the complexity of tackling neurological disorders and the need for diverse therapeutic strategies. Meanwhile, Biogen remains steadfast in defending its anti-tau Alzheimer's candidate following mixed phase 2 results that showed slowed cognitive decline. Despite stock volatility, this endeavor illustrates the high-stakes nature of Alzheimer's research as companies pursue novel approaches to this challenging disease. Regulatory landscapes are also shifting as Johnson & Johnson halts development of an eye disease gene therapy after disappointing phase 2b results. This move reflects the inherent risks involved in gene therapy and underscores the necessity for thorough evaluation at each clinical stage. Medtronic's recall of its Harmony delivery catheter system due to potential detachment risks serves as a reminder of the paramount importance of safety and quality control in medical device manufacturing. Such recalls impact patient safety and emphasize regulatory vigilance over device reliability. In summary, these innovations demonstrate the dynamic nature of the pharma and biotech industries where cutting-edge science drives progress. Integrating AI into drug discovery, managing product lifecycles post-patent expiry, advancing personalized medicine, and maintaining regulatory diligence collectively shape a landscape focused on improving patient outcomes worldwide. Turning to recent scientific developments: Eli Lilly's presentation at AAIC 2026 on their anti-amyloid Alzheimer's drug Kisunla explores maintenance therapy possibilities once amyloid levels fall below a threshold. This potential shift could signify a paradigm change by extending therapeutic benefits and possibly improving long-term outcomes for patients with Alzheimer's. Biogen's advances with its anti-tau Alzheimer's therapy partnered with Ionis Pharmaceuticals further validate the tau hypothesis. The promising mid-stage data on their antisense drug Diranersen opens opportunities for other companies like Denali Therapeutics to explore similar avenues for treating neurodegenerative diseases. The industry is also witnessing a resurgence in biotech IPOs during 2026's first half, recovering from a sluggish 2025. This surge signals investor confidence in biotechnological innovation while providing capital for advancing research pipelines. Financial activities within the sector are robust as Attovia Therapeutics files for an IPO to fund its competitive pipeline against Sanofi's Dupixent. Meanwhile, Advancell's $315 million Series D funding supports advancing prostate cancer candidates into Phase 3 trials, backed by big pharma confidence in radiotherapy's potential. Lastly, regulatory transparency improves as the FDA resumes releasing drug rejection letters after a temporary pause—a move likely to influence future submissions significantly by offering clearer guidance on regulatory expectations. These developments collectively highlight how scientific innovation and strategic maneuvers transform pharmaceutical landscapes, promising profound impacts on patient care through advanced therapies and novel treatments worldwide. As these trends unfold, they reflect an industry increasingly reliant on technological integration and collaborations to drive future growth and innovation.Support the show
Good morning from Pharma Daily: the podcast that brings you the most important developments in the pharmaceutical and biotech world. Today, we delve into a series of remarkable advancements and strategic maneuvers that are shaping the future of drug development and patient care. Starting with Roche's breakthrough in oncology, their small molecule inhibitor, Divarasib, has shown promising results in a Phase 3 trial for patients with KRAS G12C-mutated non-small cell lung cancer. This trial demonstrated superior efficacy over competitors like Amgen's Lumakras and Bristol-Myers Squibb's Krazati. Historically, KRAS mutations have been difficult to target, but Divarasib's success underscores the potential of precision medicine in oncology. These findings could lead to more effective treatment options for NSCLC patients, showcasing how targeted therapies are revolutionizing cancer treatment by focusing on specific genetic mutations. In regulatory news, Vertex Pharmaceuticals has made significant strides with Casgevy (exagamglogene autotemcel), a gene therapy that now includes pediatric patients with sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia in its FDA-approved label. This marks a pivotal moment for gene therapy applications in blood disorders. Utilizing CRISPR technology, Vertex offers potentially curative solutions for debilitating conditions, signaling a new era where genetic disorders can be addressed at their root cause. Similarly, Novartis has gained European Commission approval for Itvisma to treat 5q spinal muscular atrophy in patients aged two years and older, further cementing gene therapies' role in mainstream medical practice. Strategic partnerships remain essential in driving innovation. Takeda's collaboration with Insilico Medicine on AI-driven drug discovery is a case in point. The $600 million partnership highlights the growing reliance on AI and machine learning to expedite therapeutic development processes. Platforms like Pharma.AI are being leveraged to identify novel drug candidates more efficiently. Additionally, AstraZeneca's alliance with CSPC Pharmaceutical Group to develop siRNA-based therapies for kidney diseases reflects the burgeoning interest in RNA therapeutics as these technologies open new avenues to address complex diseases. On the financial front, BridgeBio's ability to attract $1 billion in convertible preferred equity from Sixth Street and Healthcare Royalty underscores investor confidence in rare disease therapeutics. This funding will bolster its pipeline targeting cardiovascular and rare conditions, emphasizing the profitable potential found within niche markets of the pharmaceutical landscape. Manufacturing is also seeing expansion as Lonza deepens its partnership with an unnamed U.S. drugmaker to enhance biologics programs. Anticipated investments reaching into multi-billion Swiss Francs underscore the critical importance of robust manufacturing infrastructure to meet growing demands for biologics and antibody-drug conjugates. Clinical trials continue to yield promising results. Can-Fite Biopharma's Phase 2a trial for Namodenoson in treating advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma has shown promising survival data when combined with therapies targeting Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways. At the same time, Otsuka's Phase 3 data for Voyxact (sibeprenlimab-szsi) demonstrated improved kidney function in patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy, bolstering traditional FDA approval pathways. On the acquisitions front, GNI Group's acquisition of Ayumi Pharmaceutical for approximately JPY 44.8 billion highlights strategic moves to enhance global biopharma operations focusing on pain management solutions. Yet not all news is positive; Sanofi's Genzyme Ireland unit received an FDA warning letter regarding manufacturing violations related to Altuviiio production, pointing to ongoing regulatory challenges within production practices. Moving on to geopolitical considerations, recent congressional letters to major pharmaceutical CEOs have raised concerns about clinical trials conducted within China due to national security concerns. This tension illustrates the delicate balance between leveraging China's economic potential and safeguarding US interests—a critical issue as international collaborations continue to expand. Meanwhile, AstraZeneca's ongoing collaborations with CSPC Pharmaceutical Group further signify strategic bets on China's capabilities despite geopolitical tensions. Their joint efforts focus on kidney disease treatments while adding to existing agreements addressing obesity and chronic diseases. The FDA remains pivotal as key decisions anticipated this quarter could significantly influence investment strategies and research priorities. This includes revisiting applications previously delayed or rejected—decisions that could reshape industry dynamics. In conclusion, this dynamic landscape is marked by significant scientific breakthroughs and complex global interactions guiding pharmaceutical and biotech sectors toward a transformative era. Gene therapy advancements underscore progress in personalized medicine while geopolitical factors continue influencing strategic industry decisions. As regulatory bodies evolve their approaches alongside increasingly international partnerships, these developments collectively herald profound implications for drug development and patient care globally.Support the show
More big biotech deals on the docket this week. First, Merck KGaA is buying Bio-Techne for $11.3 billion to expand its presence in high-growth life science markets. We dive into the details of this deal and then turn our attention to a $2.5 million collaboration to use artificial intelligence to find drug candidates for neuroimmune disorders. That deal involves Insilico Medicine and SK Biopharmaceuticals. Still on the theme of AI, we discuss Anthropic's Claude Science, the latest entrant to the growing ecosystem of tech platforms specialized for biology, and a set of models for antibiotic design and vaccine target prediction. Lastly, we dig into two recent publications that discuss vaccines for Nipah virus and one of its relatives, and for treating schistosomiasis.Join GEN editors Corinna Singleman, PhD, Alex Philippidis, Fay Lin, PhD, and Uduak Thomas for a discussion of the latest biotech and biopharma news. Listed below are links to the GEN stories referenced in this episode of Touching Base: Merck KGaA to Acquire Bio-Techne for $11.3B, Expanding Life Science Tools Presence By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, June 25, 2026Insilico, SK Launch Up-to-$2.5B Neuroimmune AI Drug CollaborationBy Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, June 28, 2026Claude Science Is Here, Antibiotics Designed by Text Prompt Among Applications By Fay Lin, PhD, GEN Edge, June 30, 2026Schistosomiasis Vaccine Shows Strong Immune Memory in Early Clinical TrialsGEN, June 29, 2026 Nipah and Hendra Viruses: Antibody Cocktail Provides Complete Protection in Hamster ModelGEN, June 26, 2026Touching Base Podcast Hosted by Corinna Singleman, PhD Behind the Breakthroughs Hosted by Jonathan D. Grinstein, PhD Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Good morning from Pharma Daily: the podcast that brings you the most important developments in the pharmaceutical and biotech world. Today, we dive into a series of groundbreaking advancements and strategic shifts that are shaping the future of healthcare. In a remarkable development from China, Carsgen has achieved approval for the world's first CAR-T therapy targeting solid tumors. This therapy focuses on Claudin18.2, marking an unprecedented expansion of CAR-T applications beyond hematologic malignancies. The significance of this breakthrough cannot be overstated, as it opens new avenues for treating cancers resistant to traditional therapies, offering hope to patients worldwide. Meanwhile, in regulatory news, the U.S. is closely examining Germany's proposed drug spending reforms due to concerns over "persistent underpayment" for new medications. This scrutiny highlights the complexities of international pharmaceutical pricing and could have profound implications for drug accessibility and pricing strategies across Europe. Sanofi is undergoing transformative changes under CEO Belen Garijo's leadership. The departure of R&D chief Houman Ashrafian and the appointment of Paulo Fontoura, known for his work at Roche, signal a strategic pivot to rejuvenate Sanofi's research and development pipeline. This move aims to address challenges within Sanofi's pipeline and inject new energy into its R&D initiatives. Reflecting broader industry trends, Eli Lilly is reevaluating its marketing strategies amid increasing emphasis on pharmaceuticals in mainstream health discussions. This introspection aligns with efforts across big pharma to enhance corporate image alongside product portfolios. The Federal Trade Commission recently mandated that Aurobindo divest four drugs as part of its $250 million acquisition of Lannett, addressing antitrust concerns and ensuring competitive balance in the generics market. Pfizer has made headlines with a rapid $10 billion oncology deal with Innovent Biologics. This collaboration underscores an industry trend towards swift, large-scale partnerships aimed at expanding global pharmaceutical ambitions. The deal's finalization in under five months illustrates the increasing pace at which such collaborations are being forged. Moderna continues to expand its mRNA capabilities beyond COVID-19 with unanimous FDA advisory committee support for its influenza vaccine candidate. This advancement signifies Moderna's strategic entry into broader vaccine markets, leveraging its mRNA platform to potentially transform vaccine development for seasonal influenza. AbbVie's acquisition of Apogee Therapeutics for $10.9 billion marks a competitive maneuver in the dermatology space. With a promising late-phase eczema drug candidate, AbbVie positions itself against market leaders like Eli Lilly, Regeneron, and Sanofi. Definium Therapeutics has announced promising phase 3 data for its novel LSD-based treatment for depression. This development has the potential to revolutionize mental health treatment paradigms by demonstrating unprecedented efficacy in psychedelic therapeutics. In an innovative stride forward, Insilico Medicine's collaboration with SK Biopharm on an AI-driven drug discovery initiative highlights the growing reliance on artificial intelligence to accelerate drug development pipelines. Targeting neuroimmune disorders, this partnership could be valued at over $2.5 billion, exemplifying AI's transformative potential in pharmaceutical innovation. These developments collectively highlight an industry characterized by rapid scientific advancements and strategic realignments. By expanding CAR-T therapies to solid tumors and integrating AI-driven drug discovery approaches, alongside significant regulatory updates and strategic collaborations, the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors are poised for continued evolution in patient care and drug development methodologies. As we continue to witness these transformative changes across pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, it remains crucial for stakeholders to adapt swiftly and collaborate effectively. The integration of novel technologies such as mRNA platforms, gene editing advancements, and AI-driven research will undoubtedly shape future healthcare outcomes and redefine traditional approaches to medicine. Thank you for tuning into Pharma Daily. We hope you found today's insights valuable as we navigate these dynamic shifts within the pharmaceutical and biotech landscapes together. Stay informed and join us next time as we continue to explore the cutting-edge developments driving healthcare innovation forward.Support the show
Life sciences are at a critical inflection point, where scientific innovation, regulatory demands, and patient expectations converge with advances in data and artificial intelligence, positioning IT as a central driver of faster and more effective drug discovery and clinical development.This week, Dave and Rob continue with part 2 off the Life Sciences mini-series with Dr. Alex Zhavoronkov founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine to exploring how drug discovery and clinical development can become faster and more effective, and the role of AI in that process. TLDR00:40 – Introduction01:00 – Hang out: Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2 03:07 – Dig in: Life Sciences mini-series, Part 2 06:43 – Conversation with Dr Alex Zhavoronkov 42:12 – The future of AI in drug discovery and a new paradigm for pharma GuestDr. Alex Zhavoronkov: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zhavoronkov/ HostsDave Chapman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chapmandr/Esmee van de Giessen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esmeevandegiessen/Rob Kernahan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-kernahan/ ProductionMarcel van der Burg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcel-vd-burg/Dave Chapman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chapmandr/ SoundBen Corbett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-corbett-3b6a11135/Louis Corbett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louis-corbett-087250264/ 'Realities Remixed' is an original podcast from Capgemini
Good morning from Pharma Daily: the podcast that brings you the most important developments in the pharmaceutical and biotech world. Recent updates offer a fascinating glimpse into an industry marked by dynamic shifts and groundbreaking advancements, each promising to reshape the future of healthcare. Let's delve into some of the most notable developments that are capturing attention across the globe. Starting with Eli Lilly's obesity medication, Zepbound, which has regained insurance coverage through CVS Caremark. This decision is emblematic of a broader recognition of obesity as a significant health issue that demands comprehensive treatment solutions. The reinstatement of coverage enables more patients to access Zepbound, potentially setting a benchmark for other insurers and leading to improved health outcomes. Shifting focus to oncology, AbbVie has secured FDA approval for a new therapy derived from its acquisition of ImmunoGen, adding to its portfolio of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) with Elahere. This development underscores the escalating value of ADCs in precision cancer therapies, offering innovative solutions for targeting cancer cells while preserving healthy tissues. Japan's pharmaceutical R&D stance is under examination as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets with over 20 industry leaders to discuss maintaining the nation's competitive edge. This gathering highlights a global race among nations to enhance their R&D capabilities, ensuring leadership in pharmaceutical innovations. In neuroscience, Novartis's relentless pursuit to conquer the blood-brain barrier reflects ongoing efforts to revolutionize treatments for neurological disorders. Despite recent advancements, Novartis continues to explore new strategies for drug delivery to the brain, aiming to unlock therapies for conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Viridian Therapeutics' collaboration with Wuxi Biologics marks a notable push in the eye drug market, positioning them against major players like Amgen. This partnership emphasizes manufacturing capability as a critical factor in ensuring resilient supply chains and competitive advantage. The hepatitis B treatment landscape has witnessed significant progress with GSK's phase 3 trial results for its drug Bepirovirsen. Achieving a functional cure in around one-fifth of patients signifies a major step forward in addressing this widespread disease. The potential to reduce lifelong antiviral therapy and lower liver cancer rates illustrates the transformative impact of nucleic acid-based therapies. Leadership dynamics also play a crucial role in pharma strategies. PharmaEssentia's appointment of Eric Vogel highlights the industry's reliance on seasoned talent to drive market expansion and broaden therapeutic indications, particularly for its rare blood cancer drug Besremi. In longevity research, Human Longevity's collaboration with Insilico Medicine introduces Human Life Foundation Models (HLFM), leveraging AI and genomics to extend human lifespan. This initiative is part of a broader trend integrating cutting-edge technologies into healthcare research, reflecting an evolving focus on longevity and genomic sciences. Regulatory landscapes are also evolving, as seen with CMS finalizing changes to the No Surprises Act dispute resolution process. By streamlining arbitration amidst rising disputes, these updates aim to refine healthcare policy frameworks for more efficient stakeholder service. Meanwhile, biosimilar approvals are gaining traction globally. ANVISA's approval of EMS's Ozivy in Brazil introduces a cost-effective alternative to Novo Nordisk's semaglutide (Ozempic) for type 2 diabetes. This step enhances access to affordable diabetes treatments, crucial for managing this prevalent metabolic disorder. In clinical trials innovation, D&D Pharmatech's Zabopegdutide has shown promising Phase 2 results for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), indicating fibrosis improvement and potential disease resolution. These findings underscore dual receptor agonists' therapeutic promise in tackling complex metabolic conditions. Additionally, Kailera Therapeutics' KAI-4729 demonstrates significant weight loss in Phase 1 obesity trials, potentially reshaping the obesity treatment landscape by offering superior weight management options compared to existing therapies. Funding rounds like Secretome Therapeutics' successful $30 million Series A highlight ongoing investments in regenerative medicine and cell-based therapies, propelling advancements in cardiovascular disease treatment pipelines. The acquisition landscape remains active with CordenPharma's purchase of AmbioPharm, expanding peptide manufacturing capabilities across U.S. and China markets. This move meets growing demand for peptide APIs vital in drug development processes. Technological innovation remains pivotal as Biohub releases an AI World Model for protein biology to expedite therapeutic discovery processes. This tool exemplifies computational biology's integration into drug discovery efforts, enhancing efficiency and innovation. Overall, these developments illustrate a vibrant pharmaceutical and biotech landscape characterized by scientific breakthroughs, strategic partnerships, regulatory achievements, and technological advancements—all aimed at advancing patient care and expanding therapeutic possibilities across diverse medical domains. As these trends continue unfolding, they promise not only improved treatment outcomes but also a more robust global healthcare ecosystem committed to innovation and excellence. Thank you for tuning into Pharma Daily; stay informed as we continue bringing you the latest from this rapidly evolving industry.Support the show
Good morning from Pharma Daily: the podcast that brings you the most important developments in the pharmaceutical and biotech world. Today, we delve into some of the key changes shaping our industry, from a contraction in drug development pipelines to shifts in international trade policies, and what these might mean for the future of healthcare. Recent reports from Citeline indicate that for the first time in three decades, the R&D pipeline within biopharma is experiencing a contraction. This reduction marks a significant recalibration as companies seem to be strategically focusing on fewer but potentially more promising projects. This trend suggests a shift towards more streamlined and efficient development strategies, aiming to enhance success rates by channeling resources into high-value therapies. Such consolidation efforts reflect a broader industry movement towards optimizing pipeline portfolios to ensure that only the most viable candidates reach the market. In parallel, recent regulatory developments are capturing attention. The U.S. government has introduced a 100% tariff on imported drugs following a "Section 232" investigation. Although numerous exceptions have been included to mitigate potential disruptions, this move signals a protectionist stance aimed at encouraging domestic production capabilities. The policy could push U.S.-based companies to reevaluate supply chain dependencies and bolster local manufacturing, potentially reshaping global trade dynamics in pharmaceuticals. This strategy could also affect how companies prioritize their drug pipelines and navigate international collaborations essential for groundbreaking research. Meanwhile, across the pond in the U.K., a new agreement with the U.S. pharma sector has emerged as a significant development in international trade relations. By securing a tariff reprieve tied to increased drug spending through its National Health Service (NHS), the U.K. positions itself strategically to attract investments and stimulate economic growth post-Brexit. This aligns with global trends where healthcare policy adjustments are leveraged to secure favorable trade conditions. Turning to corporate strategies, BioNTech's closure of its Singapore vaccine facility highlights broader post-pandemic realignments. With declining global demand for COVID-19 vaccines due to widespread immunization, companies are optimizing resources and focusing on core competencies to better align with current market needs. This strategic pivot illustrates how companies are reassessing their global footprints and production capacities in response to evolving market dynamics. On the innovation front, Boehringer Ingelheim's continued focus on acquiring assets like Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) and T-cell Engagers (TCEs) underscores an investment in next-generation oncology treatments. These cutting-edge technologies offer enhanced precision in targeting cancer cells, potentially setting new standards in cancer care by improving patient outcomes. Strategic collaborations are also gaining traction in drug discovery, as evidenced by Eli Lilly's deepened alliance with Insilico Medicine—a deal valued at $2.75 billion. Such partnerships highlight the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in expediting drug development processes and enhancing predictive accuracy in early-stage research. AI-driven methodologies promise a new era of efficiency by streamlining R&D timelines and reducing costs. In another strategic move, Syneron Bio's recent Series B funding round underscores growing interest in peptide-based therapeutics. With $150 million secured to bolster its macrocyclic peptide platform, Syneron aims to enhance drug discovery processes by leveraging peptides' unique therapeutic window—offering specificity and reduced toxicity compared to small molecules or biologics. Amid these developments, mergers and acquiSupport the show
Responses to Kit Kat theft… Ambassador Huckabee with an April fool's joke… Gas prices and Iran (war) Trump to speak on it tonight… Artimis II needs to launch today… Satellite internet race for business… Museum theft in Italy… Email: ChewingTheFat@theblaze.com [http://www.blazetv,com/jeffy]www.blazetv,com/jeffy Save $20 on an annual subscription Or www.blazetv.com/pat Limited time offer $45 off annual subscription Top Dog Breeds of 2025… Unilever selling food business to McCormick… Danone buys Huel… Sysco buys Jetro Restaurant Depot… Eli Lilly buys Insilico Medicine to commercialize AI-developed drugs… Whoop makin health news… TikTok micro dramas looking for actors… Won the Lottery / still a thief… A look at lotto… Tiger taking a health break… Who Died Today: Dr Henry C Lee 87 / Nicolas Brendon 54 / Mel Schilling 54 / Eric Valencia 37… Joke(s) of The Day… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
March 31, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Eli Lilly signs $2.75B deal with Insilico Medicine for AI drug discovery, expanding on $1B Nvidia co-innovation lab to turn GLP-1 profits into next-gen pipeline California jury finds Meta and Google liable for youth social media harms, awarding $6M in damages focused on product design like infinite scroll and autoplay Create Wellness raises $20M Series B after selling 100M+ creatine gummies and growing 4x last year, expanding beyond athletes into everyday well-being More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → insider@fitt.co
“This deal [with Eli Lilly, announced on Sunday 29 March] is a combination of an asset licensing and collaboration. We’ve collaborated with Lilly in the past and they are actually one of the most active and expert users of our software,” says Alex Zhavoronkov, founder and co-CEO of Insilico Medicine. Zhavoronkov joins Bloomberg Intelligence pharmaceuticals analyst Sam Fazeli to explain how Insilico is using AI to compress drug-discovery timelines from years to months, pursue novel targets and compete with both big pharma and China’s fastest-moving biotech players. They also discuss the company’s rapid Lilly deal and why AI’s real edge may be before the clinic, not inside it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
AI Unraveled: Latest AI News & Trends, Master GPT, Gemini, Generative AI, LLMs, Prompting, GPT Store
Insilico Medicine has just signed a deal worth up to $2.75 billion with Eli Lilly, putting the spotlight firmly on AI-driven drug discovery. In this episode of Companies to Watch, Dan Koh and Ryan Huang break down what Insilico Medicine actually does, why its Hong Kong IPO drew massive investor demand, and what this latest partnership means for the future of healthcare.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Social networking service Bluesky announces AI app ‘Attie’, Eli Lilly reaches a deal with Insilico Medicine to bring drugs developed with AI to the global market, and recruiters at major companies are taking steps to reduce candidate use of AI during the interview process. MP3 Please SUBSCRIBE HERE for free or get DTNS Live ad-free.Continue reading "Bluesky Announces AI App ‘Attie’ – DTH"
While the markets face their fifth consecutive week of red and geopolitical headlines drive volatility, the underlying technology fundamentals tell a different story. In this episode of the Chinchilla Picking Podcast, David Underwood and Brandon Beaver look past the short-term panic to identify the long-term value plays in AI and automation.Inside the Episode:Amazon's "Sprout" Revolution: We break down the strategic acquisitions of Fauna Robotics and RIVR. Discover why Amazon is betting on humanoid, bipedal robots for the aging-in-place market and how this moves them years ahead of the competition.Micron's New Standard: Why the HBM4 chip and Micron's shift to non-cancelable 5-year contracts have fundamentally changed their business model. We discuss why Jevons Paradox suggests that as these chips get more efficient, demand will only skyrocket.The AI Clinical Edge: A look at Anumana's first-of-its-kind FDA clearance for ECG AI and Eli Lilly's nearly $3B bet on AI-driven drug development with Insilico Medicine.Buying the Dip: Why Nvidia (NVDA) at $166 and Amazon below $200 represent rare value opportunities for investors who can stay the course.
OpenAI cierra Sora tras solo 15 meses: 2 millones de ingresos frente a miles de millones en costes de GPU, y un acuerdo de mil millones con Disney que nunca se cobró. Eli Lilly firma un acuerdo de 2.750 millones con Insilico Medicine para desarrollar fármacos descubiertos con IA generativa, con 28 moléculas ya en desarrollo. El vibe coding rompe la App Store de Apple, con un 55% más de apps enviadas y colas de revisión de hasta seis semanas. Bluesky lanza Attie, un agente IA que te deja controlar tu algoritmo sin ceder tus datos. Y un estudio en Science Advances revela que el campo magnético de la Tierra crea una zona con un 20% menos de radiación cósmica en la Luna durante las mañanas lunares.Puedes seguirnos en YouTube en https://youtube.com/olivernabani y puedes unirte al Discord Mashain en https://olivernabani.com/discord
AI Unraveled: Latest AI News & Trends, Master GPT, Gemini, Generative AI, LLMs, Prompting, GPT Store
L'IA va-t-elle remplacer votre médecin ? 230 millions de personnes utilisent déjà ChatGPT pour leur santé chaque semaine. Dans cet épisode, on décrypte la grande offensive santé d'OpenAI, Amazon et des géants de la tech — et ce que ça change vraiment pour les patients, les médecins et le système de santé.Au programme : ChatGPT Health, les World Models d'AMI Labs, Insilico Medicine, les capteurs d'ondes cérébrales, les lunettes connectées, la neurostimulation anti-Alzheimer, et la question qui divise — peut-on faire de ChatGPT son psy ?===========================
Depuis quelques années, on nous promet que l'intelligence artificielle va révolutionner la médecine. Mais jusqu'ici, l'IA restait surtout un outil : pour analyser des images médicales, repérer des cancers, lire des dossiers… Aujourd'hui, un cap est en train d'être franchi : un médicament conçu grâce à de l'IA pourrait devenir le premier traitement commercialisé issu d'un processus de découverte “end-to-end” par IA.Son nom : rentosertib.Rentosertib, auparavant connu sous le code ISM001-055, est développé par la société de biotechnologie Insilico Medicine. Il cible une maladie grave et encore largement incurable : la fibrose pulmonaire idiopathique, ou IPF. C'est une pathologie où le tissu des poumons se transforme progressivement en “cicatrice”, ce qui réduit l'oxygénation et conduit souvent à une insuffisance respiratoire. Les traitements actuels ne guérissent pas : ils ralentissent simplement la progression.Ce qui rend rentosertib unique, c'est son histoire. D'après les informations publiées ces dernières années, l'IA n'a pas servi uniquement à “accélérer” des étapes. Elle aurait été utilisée pour identifier une cible biologique prometteuse (une protéine impliquée dans la maladie), puis pour concevoir chimiquement une molécule capable de l'inhiber. Ici, la cible est une enzyme appelée TNIK. L'algorithme a analysé des masses de données scientifiques, repéré un signal biologique cohérent, puis généré et optimisé des structures moléculaires jusqu'à obtenir un candidat médicament.Rentosertib a déjà franchi des étapes cruciales : des essais initiaux chez l'humain ont montré un profil de sécurité acceptable, puis une étude de phase 2a a donné des signaux encourageants sur l'amélioration ou la stabilisation de certains indicateurs respiratoires après quelques semaines de traitement.Et maintenant, l'enjeu est énorme : la phase 3. C'est la dernière marche avant une éventuelle autorisation de mise sur le marché : un essai long, sur beaucoup de patients, comparant le médicament à un placebo ou au traitement standard. C'est aussi l'étape où la majorité des molécules échouent.Si rentosertib réussit cette phase, il pourrait être le premier médicament réellement “conçu par IA” à arriver en pharmacie — potentiellement avant 2030. Ce ne serait pas seulement une victoire médicale : ce serait la preuve que l'IA peut, concrètement, inventer des traitements plus vite… et peut-être mieux, contre des maladies aujourd'hui sans vraie solution. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.
Good morning from Pharma Daily: the podcast that brings you the most important developments in the pharmaceutical and biotech world. Today, we explore a landscape marked by dynamic shifts and groundbreaking advancements in the industry.The European Union has recently taken a significant step forward by eliminating pharmaceutical export tariffs through a comprehensive free trade agreement with India. This landmark deal, nearly two decades in the making, is a strategic response to the turbulence in global markets. By potentially enhancing market access and reducing costs for drug manufacturers involved in transcontinental trade, this agreement sets a precedent for future international trade negotiations. It could also catalyze more collaborations in drug development and distribution, offering a template for how regions can work together to streamline pharmaceutical trade.Siegfried has made headlines by extending its mergers and acquisitions streak, acquiring three sites from SK Capital as part of its U.S. onshoring strategy. The acquisition of active pharmaceutical ingredient sites in Delaware, Georgia, and Australia is aimed at boosting production capabilities while reducing supply chain vulnerabilities. This move aligns with broader industry trends that emphasize geographical diversification and supply chain resilience, reflecting the industry's ongoing adaptation to global economic pressures.Meanwhile, China's National Medical Products Administration has suspended sales of Sun Pharma's dementia medication following site inspections that revealed manufacturing deficiencies. This regulatory action underscores the critical importance of compliance with stringent manufacturing standards and highlights the potential repercussions of lapses in quality control. It also demonstrates the increasing scrutiny from regulatory bodies worldwide to ensure drug safety and efficacy.On the clinical front, Roche has reported promising results for its dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist, showing a 22.5% weight loss at 48 weeks. This development is significant given the rising global demand for effective weight management therapies amid increasing obesity rates. The progression of this asset into phase 3 trials could herald a new class of therapeutics with substantial implications for patient care.In another strategic shift, Catalent has decided to wind down operations at its EU cell therapy manufacturing hub, reflecting a reassessment of facility utilization amidst changing market demands. This move is indicative of broader industry adjustments as companies streamline operations to focus on core competencies and emerging therapeutic areas.Turning to promising new therapies, United Therapeutics' bioengineered external liver assist system has shown potential in treating acute chronic liver failure based on early phase 1 trial results. Innovations like these highlight the transformative potential of bioengineering in addressing unmet medical needs and improving patient outcomes.Boehringer Ingelheim's significant investment in Simcere's preclinical bispecific antibody for inflammatory bowel disease underscores the industry's commitment to advancing novel therapeutic modalities. This EUR 1.05 billion deal reflects confidence in biologic therapies as essential components in managing complex chronic diseases.As we look towards 2026, biopharma companies are strategizing long-term amid evolving rules and heightened stakes. The sector is poised for transformation driven by scientific breakthroughs, regulatory challenges, and strategic alliances that promise enhanced patient care through innovative therapies. These developments reflect an industry that remains agile and resilient as it navigates complex global landscapes.In other news, Qilu Pharmaceutical's $120 million alliance with Insilico Medicine marks a significant step towards leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) for drug discSupport the show
Senior Scientist Fedor Galkin from Insilico Medicine in Abu Dhabi, UAE, joins Dr. Evgeniy Galimov to discuss a research paper he co-authored in Volume 17, Issue 8 of Aging-US, titled “AI-driven toolset for IPF and aging research associates lung fibrosis with accelerated aging.” DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206295 Corresponding author - Alex Zhavoronkov - alex@insilico.com Video interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV6DyIV7X7U Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24lX2lHbt7o Longevity & Aging Series - https://www.aging-us.com/longevity Abstract Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a condition predominantly affecting the elderly and leading to a decline in lung function. Our study investigates the aging-related mechanisms in IPF using artificial intelligence (AI) approaches. We developed a pathway-aware proteomic aging clock using UK Biobank data and applied it alongside a specialized version of Precious3GPT (ipf-P3GPT) to demonstrate an AI-driven mode of IPF research. The aging clock shows great performance in cross-validation (R2=0.84) and its utility is validated in an independent dataset to show that severe cases of COVID-19 are associated with an increased aging rate. Computational analysis using ipf-P3GPT revealed distinct but overlapping molecular signatures between aging and IPF, suggesting that IPF represents a dysregulation rather than mere acceleration of normal aging processes. Our findings establish novel connections between aging biology and IPF pathogenesis while demonstrating the potential of AI-guided approaches in therapeutic development for age-related diseases. Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://aging.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Faging.206295 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Aging - https://www.aging-us.com/subscribe-to-toc-alerts Keywords - aging, IPF, generative AI, transformer, proteomics To learn more about the journal, please visit our website at https://www.Aging-US.com and connect with us on social media at: Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/aging-us.bsky.social ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/journal/Aging-1945-4589 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AgingUS/ X - https://twitter.com/AgingJrnl Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/agingjrnl/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aging/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Aging-US Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/AgingUS/ Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/AgingUS/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1X4HQQgegjReaf6Mozn6Mc MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM
In this episode, I talked to Dr. Alex Zhavoronkov, CEO of Insilico Medicine, about using AI to generate small molecules for future drugs/therapies, pharma superintelligence, automation of drug discovery, China potentially beating US in biotech innovation, aging, and other funny things, like his head transplant video. ---------------------------------------------------------------Thanks to the sponsors:Audible: Use my link for a 30-day free trial: http://audibletrial.com/diamondgoatNewsly: https://newsly.mepromo code to receive a 1-month free premium subscription: EARLYMORNING Libysn: https://libsyn.compromo code: DG Dubby Energy: https://www.dubby.ggpromo code for 10% off: DIAMONDGOATOpus Clips: https://www.opus.pro/?via=diamondgoat----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Listen on:Podcast website: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dg-early-morning-show--5943922Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0EuhA6WyuerHtVAqcFrFeOPodcast YT channel clips: https://www.youtube.com/@dgearlymorningshowTiktok: @dgearlymorningshowApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dg-early-morning-show/id1575451533Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f050b86c-1dad-4bc3-b12f-6aa5fa62438c Goodpods: https://goodpods.com/podcasts/dg-early-morning-show-211830RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/dg-earlymorning-show-WoML4rBreaker: https://www.breaker.audio/dg-early-morning-showReason: https://reason.fm/podcast/dg-earlymorning-show--------------------------------------Check out my other stuff:Instagram: @itzdiamondgoatTwitter: @lildiamondgoatMain YT channel: youtube.com/diamondgoatTiktok: @lildiamondgoatSoundcloud: @Lil DiamondgoatSpotify: @Lil DiamondgoatMerch store: https://diamondgoat.creator-spring.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dg-early-morning-show--5943922/support.
This week, Andreas Munk Holm talks with Sergey Jakimov, Co-founder and Managing Partner at LongeVC, a leading longevity-focused venture fund backing breakthroughs in biotech, AI-driven drug discovery, and the science of healthy aging.From pre-seed biotech spin-outs to multi-hundred-million-dollar exits with Big Pharma, LongeVC is building the category-defining fund at the frontier of life extension. In this episode, Sergey walks us through the team's 3x+ MOIC track record, how LongeVC's scientific advisory board unlocks proprietary deal flow, and why longevity and healthspan investing could be venture's next trillion-dollar frontier.
Send us a textGood morning from Pharma Daily: the podcast that brings you the most important developments in the pharmaceutical and biotech world. In today's rapidly evolving landscape, we witness significant strides shaping the future of drug development, patient care, and global market dynamics.Merck & Co. has made a notable advancement in cholesterol management with a PCSK9-targeted pill. This pill has achieved reductions in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) comparable to existing injectable therapies. Such innovation represents a significant step forward by potentially offering a more convenient oral alternative for patients. The development underscores the industry's ongoing efforts to enhance patient compliance and therapeutic outcomes through novel drug delivery mechanisms.In a strategic corporate move, Pfizer has successfully acquired Metsera, an obesity biotech company, for a substantial $10 billion. This acquisition, which followed an intense bidding war with Novo Nordisk, exemplifies Pfizer's aggressive expansion in the obesity treatment market—a growing global health challenge. The strategic buyout positions Pfizer to leverage Metsera's expertise, potentially accelerating the development and commercialization of innovative obesity treatments.Meanwhile, Novo Nordisk is enhancing its presence in India by partnering with Emcure Pharmaceuticals to expand access to Wegovy, its weight-loss treatment. This collaboration is particularly significant given India's escalating obesity rates and highlights the importance of regional partnerships in enhancing drug accessibility and addressing public health issues.Regulatory developments continue to influence industry dynamics as well. The FDA has postponed its decision on expanding Rhythm Pharmaceuticals' Imcivree for additional indications. These regulatory delays highlight the complexities and unpredictabilities inherent in drug approval processes, underscoring the need for companies to strategically navigate these challenges.Regeneron and AstraZeneca have reported clinical trial successes with their respective anti-inflammatory drugs, Dupixent and Fasenra. These positive outcomes were showcased at the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology's annual meeting, bolstering the companies' aspirations for FDA approvals. Successful clinical outcomes not only pave the way for expanded therapeutic options but also demonstrate the industry's commitment to addressing complex inflammatory conditions.October has seen a surge in TV advertising spending, led by Johnson & Johnson's campaign for Tremfya. The campaign highlights the power of patient community engagement in bringing attention to conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), emphasizing how patient advocacy can reduce isolation among sufferers.In oncology, Cogent Biosciences is on track for an FDA submission following successful phase 3 trials of its cancer asset bezuclastinib. This development illustrates the critical role of rigorous clinical research in advancing oncology treatments and potentially improving patient outcomes.Turning our attention to technological frontiers within pharmaceutical R&D, Eli Lilly has been particularly active in cementing its commitment to artificial intelligence (AI) and gene therapy through several strategic collaborations. The company has entered into a $100 million-plus research agreement with Insilico Medicine to leverage AI for drug discovery. This partnership aims to expedite the identification of novel therapeutic targets and enhance drug development efficiency—a reflection of a broader industry trend towards integrating AI into pharmaceutical processes.Additionally, Lilly has made a notable move in gene therapy by acquiring rights from MeiraGTx for a retinal disease therapy that has shown Support the show
We chat about longevity with Alex Zhavoronkov, CEO and founder of the artificial intelligence (AI) specialist Insilico Medicine.Born in Latvia, Alex founded Insilico in 2014, with the company raising a huge $110M Series E round this year.Alex gives us a tour of Insilico's sprawling pipeline, a blunt rundown of the competitive landscape in AI drug development, and explains how Insilico is navigating the huge challenges faced by longevity-focused startups.⭐️ ABOUT THE SPEAKERAlex founded Insilico in 2014 after serving in senior roles at ATI Technologies, NeuroGNeuroinformatics, and the Biogerontology Research Foundation.With an academic background in biomedicine and computer technology, he has published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles, and has bachelor's degrees from Queen's University, Canada, a master's degree from Johns Hopkins University, US, and a PhD from Moscow State University, Russia.
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive lung disease that primarily affects people over the age of 60. It causes scarring in the lung tissue, which gradually reduces lung capacity and makes breathing difficult. Despite years of research, the exact causes of IPF remain largely unknown, and current treatments mainly aim to slow its progression rather than reverse or cure the disease. Because IPF tends to develop later in life, researchers have long suspected a connection with biological aging. This is the focus of a recent study by scientists from Insilico Medicine. Their research, titled “AI-driven toolset for IPF and aging research associates lung fibrosis with accelerated aging,” was published recently in Aging-US, Volume 17, Issue 8. Full blog - https://aging-us.org/2025/09/ai-tools-reveal-how-ipf-and-aging-are-connected/ Paper DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206295 Corresponding author - Alex Zhavoronkov - alex@insilico.com Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24lX2lHbt7o Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://aging.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Faging.206295 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Aging - https://www.aging-us.com/subscribe-to-toc-alerts Keywords - aging, IPF, generative AI, transformer, proteomics To learn more about the journal, please visit our website at https://www.Aging-US.com and connect with us on social media at: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AgingUS/ X - https://twitter.com/AgingJrnl Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/agingjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@AgingJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aging/ Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/aging-us.bsky.social Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/AgingUS/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1X4HQQgegjReaf6Mozn6Mc MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM
BUFFALO, NY — September 11, 2025 — A new #research paper was #published in Volume 17, Issue 8 of Aging-US on August 8, 2025, titled “AI-driven toolset for IPF and aging research associates lung fibrosis with accelerated aging.” In this study, researchers Fedor Galkin, Shan Chen, Alex Aliper, Alex Zhavoronkov, and Feng Ren from Insilico Medicine used artificial intelligence (AI) to investigate the similarities between idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a severe lung disease, and the aging process. Their findings show that IPF is not simply accelerated aging, but a distinct biological condition shaped by age-related dysfunction. This insight may lead to a new approach in how scientists and clinicians treat this complex disease. IPF mainly affects individuals over the age of 60. It causes scarring of lung tissue, making it harder to breathe and often leading to respiratory failure. Current treatments can slow the disease but rarely stop or reverse its progression. The researchers used AI to identify shared biological features between aging and fibrosis, finding new potential targets for therapy. The team developed a “proteomic aging clock” based on protein data from more than 55,000 participants in the UK Biobank. This AI-driven tool accurately measured biological age and found that patients with severe COVID-19, who are at increased risk for lung fibrosis, also showed signs of accelerated aging. This suggests that fibrosis leaves a detectable biological trace, supporting the use of aging clocks in studying age-related diseases. “For aging clock training, we used the UK Biobank collection of 55319 proteomic Olink NPX profiles annotated with age and gender.” They also developed a custom AI model, ipf-P3GPT, to compare gene activity in aging lungs versus those with IPF. Although some genes were active in both, many showed opposite behavior. In fact, more than half of the shared genes had inverse effects. This means IPF does not just speed up aging but also disrupts the body's normal aging pathways. The study identified unique molecular signatures that distinguish IPF from normal aging. While both involve inflammation and tissue remodeling, IPF drives more damaging changes to lung structure and repair systems. This difference could guide the development of drugs that specifically target fibrosis without affecting normal aging. By combining AI with large-scale biological data, the study also introduces a powerful toolset for examining other age-related conditions such as liver and kidney fibrosis. These models may support personalized treatments and expand understanding of the relationships between aging and disease, opening new directions for therapy development. DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206295 Corresponding author - Alex Zhavoronkov - alex@insilico.com Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24lX2lHbt7o Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://aging.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Faging.206295 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Aging - https://www.aging-us.com/subscribe-to-toc-alerts Keywords - aging, IPF, generative AI, transformer, proteomics To learn more about the journal, please visit our website at https://www.Aging-US.com and connect with us on social media at: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AgingUS/ X - https://twitter.com/AgingJrnl Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/agingjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@AgingJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aging/ Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/aging-us.bsky.social Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/AgingUS/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1X4HQQgegjReaf6Mozn6Mc MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM
BUFFALO, NY — September 4, 2025 — A new #research perspective was #published in Volume 17, Issue 8 of Aging (Aging-US) on August 16, 2025, titled “Age-related diseases as a testbed for anti-aging therapeutics: the case of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.” In this research perspective, Alex Zhavoronkov, Dominika Wilczok, Feng Ren, and Fedor Galkin, from Insilico Medicine, Buck Institute for Research on Aging, and Duke University, propose a new method to evaluate age-related diseases based on how closely they align with the biological processes of aging. Their analysis shows that idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a progressive lung condition, is one of the diseases most strongly associated with aging. This makes IPF a promising model for testing new anti-aging therapies with the potential to treat multiple age-related conditions. “This perspective explores how aging-related diseases (ARDs) can serve as experimental platforms for discovering new geroprotective interventions.” While many age-related diseases are used as models for aging research, not all accurately reflect the biology of aging. To address this, the authors developed a scoring system that measures how closely a disease is connected to the key hallmarks of aging, such as inflammation, genetic instability, and impaired cellular repair. Using this system, they evaluated 13 common age-related diseases and found that IPF had a particularly high overlap with aging biology. IPF is a chronic disease that causes scarring in the lungs and a rapid decline in lung function. In contrast to the gradual loss of function seen in normal aging, IPF progresses more than five times faster. The authors highlight that IPF shares nearly all of the biological features associated with aging. These similarities make IPF a strong candidate for studying aging and testing therapies that target its underlying causes. The authors also discuss different therapies currently being developed for IPF that are also designed to address aging itself. These include drugs that clear senescent cells, activate telomerase to maintain chromosome health, or repair damaged signaling between cells. Some of these treatments, such as senolytic combinations and AI-discovered compounds like rentosertib, are already showing early promise in preclinical or clinical trials. In addition, the authors point out that IPF's fast progression and clearly measurable outcomes offer an advantage for clinical testing. If a therapy proves effective in IPF, it may also be useful for other conditions that share similar aging-related mechanisms, including diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease. This approach could accelerate drug development and reduce costs by focusing on therapies that target shared biological pathways. Overall, this perspective supports a shift in pharmaceutical research toward treating aging as an underlying cause of many chronic diseases. By positioning IPF as a model for aging-related drug development, the authors propose a strategic pathway for testing and expanding anti-aging therapies across a wide range of health conditions. DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206301 Corresponding author - Alex Zhavoronkov – alex@insilico.com Video short - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5ur7itzvSI Subscribe for free publication alerts from Aging - https://www.aging-us.com/subscribe-to-toc-alerts To learn more about the journal, please visit our website at https://www.Aging-US.com and connect with us on social media at: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AgingUS/ X - https://twitter.com/AgingJrnl Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/agingjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@AgingJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aging/ Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/aging-us.bsky.social Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/AgingUS/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1X4HQQgegjReaf6Mozn6Mc MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM
As you may have heard, AI-designed medicines have crossed a historic line. In this episode, Alex Zhavoronkov - CEO of Insilico Medicine and founder of ARDD walks us through how Insilico's rentosertib became the first AI-generated small molecule with peer-reviewed clinical efficacy, while arguing against AI hype and reminding us that biology still moves at “the speed of traffic.” That duality runs through the whole conversation. On one side: a pragmatic operator obsessed with credible science, biomarkers, and clinical benchmarks; on the other: an AI visionary investing in cryonics, sketching “pharmaceutical superintelligence,” and thinking in decades, not quarters.We start in Basel, home to Roche and Novartis, where ARDD was born, then trace how the conference morphed into a ”high-signal filter for longevity” - packed with startups (who also fund it), hard data, and mainstream pharma.Alex looks back at his 2014 Nvidia talk (”Can Nvidia solve aging?”) and explains why Insilico trains its AI to learn age first - so it actually grasps biology. Years of problem-solving with pharma turned into their Pharma.AI toolkit (Biology42, Chemistry42, Medicine42, Science42).Insilico now runs 40+ programs and in an early Phase 2 study for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), their drug rentosertib showed a dose-dependent boost in lung capacity.Compared with the old path - often $150–200M and ~5 years just to pick a lead molecule - Insilico says it can often reach that point for under $3M or even less. Still, Alex is cautious: no matter how smart the AI gets, real-world testing and regulation won't speed up overnight.Also in this episode:What made Alex cry.Why he wouldn't give his own drug to patients - yet.How a mirror on a conference poster led to a proposal.How ARDD became the “WEF of longevity”.Why internal “kill teams” try to stop their own drug candidates.Why labeling aging a disease helps - but won't shortcut approvals.Why he writes to “feed AI”.How Nvidia threads through the story - from free GPUs to Jensen's video.
In this episode of FYI, Chief Futurist, Brett Winton, and Analyst Nemo Marjanovic speak with Alex Zhavoronkov, founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine. Together, they explore the promise of artificial intelligence in transforming the drug discovery process—cutting years off timelines and dramatically reducing costs. Alex shares Insilico's journey from algorithm-first beginnings to a full-stack AI-driven biotech company, highlighting their unique “pan flute” model approach to drug development and the vision of building a “pharmaceutical superintelligence.” The discussion touches on Insilico's clinical progress, including a molecule that recently completed a Phase 2 trial, and how its generative platforms are helping to tackle complex diseases with a focus on longevity.Key Points From This Episode:00:00:00 AI's promise in streamlining the drug discovery process00:03:06 The economics of preclinical development and AI's role in optimization00:04:43 Potential cost and timeline reductions: $2.4B down to $600M, 13 years to 800:07:39 Comparing Insilico's approach to peers like Recursion and AbSci00:10:35 Literature-driven vs. biology-driven models in drug discovery00:13:07 Why a dominant AI platform could reshape biotech industry consolidation00:14:57 Why biologics may be more suited to AI than small molecules00:17:35 Alex Zhavoronkov on founding Insilico and his mission in longevity science00:21:00 From algorithms to real drugs: Insilico's transition to clinical development00:23:15 Managing the pace of AI progress vs. the slow cycle of experimental validation00:27:10 How “pharmaceutical superintelligence” enables prompt-to-drug workflows00:32:26 Validation, trust, and why Insilico runs on both old and frontier models00:39:22 The “pan flute” architecture: stacking specialized models with reinforcement learning00:42:36 Building and training a unified multimodal model for chemistry and biology00:45:32 Public data, clean pipelines, and Insilico's automated validation lab00:50:47 The business model behind Insilico: selling candidates and licensing platforms00:55:12 Why pharma buyers care more about data room quality than pricing01:00:25 On profitability, licensing success, and the dream of a self-sustaining AI biotech01:01:38 Longevity and the search for fundamental mechanisms of aging
人工智慧(AI)如何改變藥物開發?藥物開發從臨床前研究到臨床試驗,通常需要超過十年時間和數十億美元的投資,卻仍有高達九成的藥物在臨床試驗中失敗。這些挑戰,現在 AI 正在各種方面掀起革命。在這系列節目中,我們將探討 AI 在藥物開發領域中的應用,並介紹在這個快速發展的領域中工作的專家。 本集為《AI 藥物開發系列》的第二集。在本集節目中,我們特別邀請到了陽明交大的兼任助理教授林彥竹,他同時也是英科智能 Insilico Medicine 台灣區的前 CEO*。他將分享他從臺大藥學院畢業後,如何跨足至瑞士聯邦理工學院,並進入英科智能深耕 AI 藥物開發的豐富經歷,以及他對於 AI 在生醫領域未來發展的看法。 此外,我們也探討英科智能的平台如何加速藥物篩選的過程,從而大幅縮短從實驗室到臨床的時間。希望大家將能更清楚地了解 AI 如何改變傳統藥物研發流程,以及這場科技革命如何影響生醫領域的未來。 *註: 講者受訪時仍任職於英科智能
Hello folks and welcome to This Is Robotics. I'm your host and fellow companion, Tom Green.The last half of 2024 is upon us, robotics-driven automation is in rapid ascendancy once again, especially now since 2024 is showing how robotics engages with GenAI, and how prompt engineering is significantly increasing the ease of adoption for robots everywhere. Last month, we gave you a longish one-hour show, which was necessary for it was meant to support my keynote address at SuperTechFT in San Francisco. If you have yet to listen to it, it's Episode # 31 and deals with how quickly computer code has capitulated to prompt engineering…and why. Plus, the new breed of workers on the rise who are being hailed as the “New Collar” generation of workers.This month, we are listening to our global fans for feedback. We have a global fan base in 68 countries according to Buzzsprout stats. A fangirl Celina from the Philippines wants us to reprise a woman's show. Specifically, the rise of Alice Zhang (Verge Genomics) and her pursuit of answers to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and ALS. Thank you, Celina for also pointing out how this story highlights how human insight creates the technical challenge and how LLMs are then employed to reveal a way forward for bio research. For Alice, it was robotics and LLMs cracking the code for ALS.During Alice's piece, she laments how broken bio research is and why. Which leads to our second fan request from Martin in Augsburg, Germany, who was fascinated with robotics in bio labs working with AI in what he calls Pharma 4.0. New drug research and discovery companies with strange, new names like Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Arctoris, Insitro, Relay Therapeutics, and Insilico Medicine are forging the way. Martin, good pick.We lead off this month humankinds almost innate fascination and attraction to humanoid robots. Why is that? We let a half dozen experts offer up some truly interesting insights and theories on just why that is. Those insights are wrapped up in a show about human attraction to robots where we commemorate National Kiss & Make up Day which is coming up in August.Okay, strap on your earphones or pop in your earbuds, which Buzzsprout tells us 3,000 people do daily worldwide to listen to This Is Robotics. We're thrilled you can join us today. Thanks and welcome.https://asianroboticsreview.com/home591-html
Dive into the groundbreaking approaches of companies like VivoDyne, Seer, Ordaos, Insilico Medicine, and Alchemab, who are pushing boundaries in drug R&D through microfluidic bioengineering, proteome mapping, AI-driven drug design, and resilient antibody discovery.
This week we get into AI in health care, generative and personalized medicine, the cure for cancer and why CoVID helped supercharge that and how AI is helping us live longer, healthier lives. Alex Zhavoronkov, the founder of AI-MedTech player Insilico joins us on TF to talk how health care is going to radically change over the next decade or two. An amazing deep dive. Don't miss it! Future health care trends with Alex Zhavoronkov Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, is the founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine (insilico.com), a leading clinical-stage biotechnology company developing next-generation artificial intelligence and robotics platforms for drug discovery. He is also the founder and Chief Longevity Officer of Deep Longevity, Inc, a spin-off of Insilico Medicine developing a broad range of artificial intelligence-based biomarkers of aging and longevity servicing healthcare providers and life insurance industry. In 2020 Deep Longevity was acquired by Endurance Longevity (HK: 0575).Since 2014 he has invented critical technologies in the field of generative artificial intelligence and reinforcement learning (RL) for the generation of novel molecular structures with the desired properties and generation of synthetic biological and patient data. He also pioneered the applications of deep learning technologies for the prediction of human biological age using multiple data types, transfer learning from aging into disease, target identification, and signaling pathway modeling. Under his leadership, Insilico raised over $415 million in multiple rounds from expert investors, opened R&D centers in six countries or regions, partnered with multiple pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic institutions, nominated 11 preclinical candidates, and entered human clinical trials with AI-discovered novel target and AI-designed novel molecule.Prior to founding Insilico, he worked in senior roles at ATI Technologies (GPU company acquired by AMD in 2006), NeuroG Neuroinformatics, Biogerontology Research Foundation. Since 2012 he published over 160 peer-reviewed research papers, and 2 books including "The Ageless Generation: How Biomedical Advances Will Transform the Global Economy" (Macmillan, 2013). He serves on the advisory or editorial boards of Trends in Molecular Medicine, Aging Research Reviews, Aging, Frontiers in Genetics, and founded and co-chairs the Annual Aging Research, Drug Discovery and AI Forum (9th annual in 2022), the world's largest event on aging in the pharmaceutical industry. He did his two bachelor degrees at Queen's University in Canada, masters in biotechnology at Johns Hopkins, and PhD in biophysics at MSU. He is the adjunct professor of artificial intelligence at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. See more podcasts here, and see more about The Futurists here.
This week we get into AI in health care, generative and personalized medicine, the cure for cancer and why CoVID helped supercharge that and how AI is helping us live longer, healthier lives. Alex Zhavoronkov, the founder of AI-MedTech player Insilico joins us on TF to talk how health care is going to radically change over the next decade or two. An amazing deep dive. Don't miss it! Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, is the founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine (insilico.com), a leading clinical-stage biotechnology company developing next-generation artificial intelligence and robotics platforms for drug discovery. He is also the founder and Chief Longevity Officer of Deep Longevity, Inc, a spin-off of Insilico Medicine developing a broad range of artificial intelligence-based biomarkers of aging and longevity servicing healthcare providers and life insurance industry. In 2020 Deep Longevity was acquired by Endurance Longevity (HK: 0575).Since 2014 he has invented critical technologies in the field of generative artificial intelligence and reinforcement learning (RL) for the generation of novel molecular structures with the desired properties and generation of synthetic biological and patient data. He also pioneered the applications of deep learning technologies for the prediction of human biological age using multiple data types, transfer learning from aging into disease, target identification, and signaling pathway modeling. Under his leadership, Insilico raised over $415 million in multiple rounds from expert investors, opened R&D centers in six countries or regions, partnered with multiple pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic institutions, nominated 11 preclinical candidates, and entered human clinical trials with AI-discovered novel target and AI-designed novel molecule.Prior to founding Insilico, he worked in senior roles at ATI Technologies (GPU company acquired by AMD in 2006), NeuroG Neuroinformatics, Biogerontology Research Foundation. Since 2012 he published over 160 peer-reviewed research papers, and 2 books including "The Ageless Generation: How Biomedical Advances Will Transform the Global Economy" (Macmillan, 2013). He serves on the advisory or editorial boards of Trends in Molecular Medicine, Aging Research Reviews, Aging, Frontiers in Genetics, and founded and co-chairs the Annual Aging Research, Drug Discovery and AI Forum (9th annual in 2022), the world's largest event on aging in the pharmaceutical industry. He did his two bachelor degrees at Queen's University in Canada, masters in biotechnology at Johns Hopkins, and PhD in biophysics at MSU. He is the adjunct professor of artificial intelligence at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging.
In 2023, Insilico Medicine—a biotech company developing medications with a heavy reliance on AI—used AI to develop an experimental drug for the incurable lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The treatment is in mid-stage trials in the US and China, with some results expected in early 2025. Biotech is one of the fields that has been using generative AI for years, even before ChatGPT brought the technology to public view. Latest technology is essential in drug development. However, the convergence of digital health and pharma seems less clear. Digital health apps started gaining popularity around 2015, and at that time, it seemed all pharma companies were trying to figure out what they could gain from apps, so they financed accelerators and incubators one after the other. We've seen many ideas about how Pharma should or could use digital health. In the last few years, there have been many notorious cases when partnerships failed—a seemingly unicorn, Proteus, which designed digital sensors-equipped pills, went bankrupt in 2019 after Otsuka Pharmaceuticals pulled out of a funding round. Pear Therapeutics, the guiding star in the DTx space and the leader in FDA-cleared prescription digital therapeutics, partnered with Novartis, but in the end, the company filed for bankruptcy in 2023. So where is Pharma in relation to digital health and digital therapeutics? In this episode, Amir Lahav shares his thoughts about the impact of AI on biotech, the state of decentralized clinical trials, and the potential of technology for improved drug development, clinical trials, and patient responses. Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ www.facesofdigitalhealth.com Show notes: [00:02:00] The Convergence of Digital Health and Pharma Discussion on the role of digital health apps in pharmaceuticals. The rise and fall of pharma and tech company partnerships, with examples like Proteus and Peer Therapeutics. [00:06:00] AI Trends in Biotech and Pharma [00:08:00] Enhancing Clinical Trials with AI and continuous patient monitoring [00:10:00] The Importance of Data in Clinical Trials [00:12:00] The Reality of Oncology Trials and Endpoints [00:14:00] Quality of Life in Medicine as the Endpoint [00:16:00] The Rise of Decentralized Clinical Trials [00:18:00] Pharma's Evolving Digital Health Strategies [00:22:00] Impact on Digital Health Industry [00:24:00] Collaboration and Sharing Knowledge in the Pharma Industry [00:26:00] The need for long-term investment and strategic piloting of digital health solutions [00:28:00] What Inspires in Pharma and Biotech in Personalized Treatments [00:30:00] The State of Precision Medicine and Targeted Therapies [00:34:00] The Role of Pharmacogenomics [00:36:00] Anticipations for 2024 and Beyond
BUFFALO, NY- February 20, 2024 – A new #research paper was #published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) Volume 16, Issue 3, entitled, “Defining the progeria phenome.” Progeroid disorders are a heterogenous group of rare and complex hereditary syndromes presenting with pleiotropic phenotypes associated with normal aging. Due to the large variation in clinical presentation the diseases pose a diagnostic challenge for clinicians which consequently restricts medical research. In this new study, researchers Cecilie Worm, Maya Elena Ramirez Schambye, Garik V. Mkrtchyan, Alexander Veviorskiy, Anastasia Shneyderman, Ivan V. Ozerov, Alex Zhavoronkov, Daniela Bakula, and Morten Scheibye-Knudsen from the University of Copenhagen and Insilico Medicine aimed to accommodate this challenge by compiling a list of known progeroid syndromes and calculating the mean prevalence of their associated phenotypes, defining what they term the ‘progeria phenome'. “In this study, we have utilized phenome explorations to define the phenotypes associated with progerias and to develop tools to diagnose patients and identify new progeroid syndromes.” The data were used to train a support vector machine that is available at https://www.mitodb.com and able to classify progerias based on phenotypes. Furthermore, this allowed the researchers to investigate the correlation of progeroid syndromes and syndromes with various pathogenesis using hierarchical clustering algorithms and disease networks. They detected that ataxia-telangiectasia like disorder 2, spastic paraplegia 49 and Meier-Gorlin syndrome display strong association to progeroid syndromes, thereby implying that the syndromes are previously unrecognized progerias. “In conclusion, our study has provided tools to evaluate the likelihood of a syndrome or patient being progeroid. This is a considerable step forward in our understanding of what constitutes a premature aging disorder and how to diagnose them.” DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.205537 Corresponding author - Morten Scheibye-Knudsen - mscheibye@sund.ku.dk Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://aging.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Faging.205537 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Aging - https://www.aging-us.com/subscribe-to-toc-alerts Keywords - aging, progeria, premature aging, phenome, clinical phenotype About Aging-US Launched in 2009, Aging-US publishes papers of general interest and biological significance in all fields of aging research and age-related diseases, including cancer—and now, with a special focus on COVID-19 vulnerability as an age-dependent syndrome. Topics in Aging-US go beyond traditional gerontology, including, but not limited to, cellular and molecular biology, human age-related diseases, pathology in model organisms, signal transduction pathways (e.g., p53, sirtuins, and PI-3K/AKT/mTOR, among others), and approaches to modulating these signaling pathways. Please visit our website at https://www.Aging-US.com and connect with us: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AgingUS/ X - https://twitter.com/AgingJrnl Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/agingjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@AgingJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aging/ Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/AgingUS/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1X4HQQgegjReaf6Mozn6Mc Media Contact 18009220957 MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM
New Year, new podcast format! In 2024's first episode of the Scope of Things, host Deborah Borfitz gives you the latest news from the clinical trials industry, including AI's role in the creation of digital twins, the obesity epidemic and the drugs intended to combat it, improving diversity in trial candidates, and more. We also have expert advice from Ward Lemaire, VP Head of Data Management and Central Monitoring at J&J Innovative Medicine, and Dan Hydes, Co-Founder and CEO at IgniteData, on SCOPE's new Startup Pitch Competiton, and how start-up companies can meet multiple demands and needs, direct their limited resources, and keep the innovation train going. New Advisory Board Ken Getz podcast episode Ramita Tandon podcast episode News Roundup AI and Chatbots Belong.Life Microsoft's Trial Matcher UF and NVIDIA's GatorTronGPT Genentech's smart digital assistants Digital Twins Pan-European project simulating stroke treatments Obesity Clinical Trials JAMA paper on unintended consequences of weight-loss drugs FDA's Ozempic label change Physicians in Europe preferentially recommend lifestyle changes New areas of interest Trial begins for Insilico Medicine's latest AI-discovered drug Brain metastases studies in Italy and Spain Drug repurposing study in Australia for type 1 diabetes Anti-aging TAME trial of Metformin to start Pharmacy Research Organization RxE2 Platform for independent community pharmacists launches Gerald Finken podcast episode Amplifying the patient voice FDA's patient- focuse
Get the latest scoop on Google's spiffy new chatbot Gemini, Elon Musk making xAI chatbot Grok more accessible to premium X / Twitter users, and Cuebric making massive strides in navigating the world of 3D models and environments. All this and more at the Edge of AI Dispatch powered by Metaverse Post! ☕ Support us through our Sponsors:
This episode is sponsored by Shopify. Shopify is a commerce platform that allows anyone to set up an online store and sell their products. It's the leading commerce platform designed for a business of any size. Whether you're selling online, on social media, or in person, Shopify has you covered on every base. With Shopify you can sell physical and digital products. You can sell services, memberships, ticketed events, rentals and even classes and lessons. Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/eyeonai On episode #134 of the Eye on AI podcast, Craig Smith sits down with Alex Zhavoronkov, founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine. Being at the forefront of cutting-edge drug discovery and longevity, Alex leverages the power of AI to develop novel drugs that could potentially extend our lifespan. In this episode we explore the unique tools Insilico Medicine uses to hypothesize protein targets and their links to diseases. Alex also gives us a peek into their automated robotic lab in Suzhou, China, which is expected to revolutionize drug development. We delve deep into the world of drug discovery, with a special focus on Insilico Medicine's tools, Pandomics, and Chemistry42, that are reshaping the field. Yet beyond the science, we also discuss the broader implications of tackling aging - from overpopulation to the strain on healthcare and social security systems. Finally, we tackle the elephant in the room - the challenges in the pharmaceutical industry. Can AI expedite the drug discovery process? Alex certainly thinks so. We explore how AI can help identify partners quickly, streamline processes, and ultimately accelerate the development of drugs. Join us as we unravel these mysteries and take you through the fascinating world of biotech, AI, and pharmaceutical research. (0:00) Preview (01:36) Shopify (04:26) AI's Revolutionizing Drug Discovery (06:11) Inside AI Pharmaceutical Research (12:23) Use of AI tools in Medicine (19:56) Biotech Synergy: Collaborative Exploration and Target Discovery (37:17) Decoding Aging with AI (46:52) Aging, Overpopulation, and Drug Breakthroughs (1:07:33) Pharmaceutical Industry Challenges (1:20:42) How AI is Advancing Longevity through Medicine Craig Smith Twitter: https://twitter.com/craigss Eye on A.I. Twitter: https://twitter.com/EyeOn_AI
Discover how Insilico Medicine is accelerating drug discovery using Generative AI in the latest episode of the AWS Health Innovation Podcast. CEO Alex Zhavoronkov joins AWS' Dr. Yin He to discuss their journey and how they are accelerating drug development.
Alex Zhavoronkov is our first guest to make a repeat appearance, having first joined us in episode 12, last November. We are delighted to welcome him back, because he is doing some of the most important work on the planet, and he has some important news.In 2014, Alex founded Insilico Medicine, a drug discovery company which uses artificial intelligence to identify novel targets and novel molecules for pharmaceutical companies. Insilico now has drugs designed with AI in human clinical trials, and it is one of a number of companies that are demonstrating that developing drugs with AI can cut the time and money involved in the process by as much as 90%. Selected follow-ups:https://insilico.com/ARDD 2023: https://agingpharma.org/Topics addressed in this episode include:*) For the first time, an AI-generated molecule has entered phase 2 human clinical trials; it's a candidate treatment for IPF (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis)*) The sequence of investigation: first biology (target identification), then chemistry (molecule selection), then medical trials; all three steps can be addressed via AI*) Pros and cons of going after existing well-known targets (proteins) for clinical intervention, versus novel targets*) Pros and cons of checking existing molecules for desired properties, versus imagining (generating) novel molecules with these properties*) Alex's experience with generative AI dates back to 2015 (initially with GANs - "generative adversarial networks")*) The use of interacting ensembles of different AI systems - different generators, and different predictors, allocating rewards*) The importance of "diversity" within biochemistry*) A way in which Insilico follows "the Apple model"*) What happens in Phase 2 human trials - and what Insilico did before reaching Phase 2*) IPF compared with fibrosis in other parts of the body, and a connection with aging*) Why probability of drug success is more important than raw computational speed or the cost of individual drug investigations*) Recent changes in the AI-assisted drug development industry: an investment boom in the wake of Covid, spiced-up narratives devoid of underlying substance, failures, downsizing, consolidation, and improved understanding by investors and by big pharma*) The AI apps created by Insilico can be accessed by companies or educational institutes*) Insilico research into quantum computing: this might transform drug discovery in as little as two years*) Real-world usage of quantum computers from IBM, Microsoft, and Google*) Success at Insilico depended on executive management task reallocation*) Can Longevity Escape Velocity be achieved purely by pharmacological interventions?*) Insilico's Precious1GPT approach to multimodal measurements of biological aging, and its ability to suggest new candidate targets for age-associated diseases: "one clock to rule them all"*) Reasons to mentally prepare to live to 120 or 150*) Hazards posed to longevity research by geopolitical tensions*) Reasons to attend ARDD in Copenhagen, 28 Aug to 1 Sept*) From longevity bunkers to the longevity dividendMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration
In this episode of Life Science Success my Guest is Alex Zhavoronkov. Alex is the CEO Insilico Medicine an AI-powered drug discovery company. Insilico Medicine has progressed three internally-derived assets into human clinical trials. Insilico Medicine has discovered over 30 other programs in different stages. Insilico Medicine incorporates three engines in their platform: biology, chemistry, and clinical. They generate normal molecules with desired properties using 42 generative engines. They have a system that predicts clinical trials outcomes. Insilico Medicine's main strategy is partnering with pharma companies at the preclinical candidate stage. They value patient first, relentless innovation, and transparency and integrity. Alex's biggest concern is human tendency to prioritize unimportant things over important ones. Alex is excited about large language models, multimodal generative AI, robotics, and quantum computing.
#ai #generativeai #drugdiscovery #pharma In this episode of CXOTalk, we have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Alex Zhavoronkov, the founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine.Insilico Medicine uses artificial intelligence to enhance drug discovery. By combining generative adversarial networks (GANs), reinforcement learning, and other AI techniques, Insilico streamlines the design, synthesis, and testing of new molecules. Their approach has garnered attention, raising $400 million in funding so far.Dr. Zhavoronkov shares insights into Insilico's goals, such as the accelerated development and testing of small molecules targeting specific diseases. We also explore how their software impacts pharmaceutical R&D by enabling researchers to investigate new targets, design molecules with certain properties, and potentially predict the outcomes of clinical trials.Join us as we discuss the evolving landscape of pharmaceuticals and how generative AI can help discover new treatments for chronic diseases and promote a healthier future.The conversion covers these topics:► Early generative AI experiments & adversarial networks► Generative AI in molecular drug design► Advancements: AI techniques & reinforcement learning► Insilico Medicine's funding journey & challenges► Unique challenges in AI-based drug discovery► First validation of AI-generated molecules► Software for chemistry & biology applications► Traditional vs. Insilico Medicine's approach► Pharma challenges: high costs, low novelty, and diminishing returns► Potential billion-dollar payout for successful Phase II drugs► AI in drug development can increase success probability► Early partnerships with large pharma and lessons learned► Decision to stop doing pilots with big pharma companies► Generative AI and public data► De-biasing pharmaceutical research► Automating the workflow and quality control► Reinforcing generative AI with real experiments► “Drug discovery is brutal”► Drug discovery democratization► AI in medical writing► IP risks and generative AI► AI and robotics to prevent agingVisit our website for the audio podcast: https://www.cxotalk.com/episode/future-of-drug-discovery-generative-ai-in-pharma-and-medicineSubscribe to the newsletter: https://www.cxotalk.com/subscribeCheck out our upcoming live shows: https://www.cxotalk.comAlex Zhavoronkov, Ph.D. is the founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine, a leader in next-generation artificial intelligence technologies for drug discovery and biomarker development. He is also the founder of Deep Longevity, Inc, a spin-off of Insilico Medicine developing a broad range of artificial intelligence-based biomarkers of aging and longevity servicing healthcare providers and life insurance industry. In 2020, Deep Longevity was acquired by Endurance Longevity (HK: 0575). Beginning in 2015, he invented critical technologies in the field of generative adversarial networks (GANs) and reinforcement learning (RL) for the generation of novel molecular structures with the desired properties and generation of synthetic biological and patient data. He also pioneered applications of deep learning technologies for the prediction of human biological age using multiple data types, and transferred learning from aging into disease, target identification, and signaling pathway modeling. Under his leadership, Insilico has raised over $400 million in multiple rounds from expert investors, opened R&D centers in six countries or regions, and partnered with multiple pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic institutions, nominated 11 preclinical candidates, and has generated positive topline Phase 1 data in human clinical trials with an AI-discovered novel target and AI-designed novel molecule for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis that received Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA and is nearing Phase 2 clinical trials. Insilico also recently announced that its generative AI-designed drug for COVID-19 and related variants was approved for clinical trials.Prior to founding Insilico, he worked in senior roles at ATI Technologies (a GPU company acquired by AMD in 2006), NeuroGNeuroinformatics, and the Biogerontology Research Foundation. Since 2012, he has published over 150 peer-reviewed research papers, and 2 books including "The Ageless Generation: How Biomedical Advances Will Transform the Global Economy" (Macmillan, 2013). He serves on the advisory or editorial boards of Trends in Molecular Medicine, Aging Research Reviews, Aging, Frontiers in Genetics, and founded and co-chairs the Annual Aging Research and Drug Discovery conference, the world's largest event on aging in the pharmaceutical industry. He is an adjunct professor of artificial intelligence at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging.
It may feel like generative AI technology suddenly burst onto the scene over the last year or two, with the appearance of text-to-image models like Dall-E and Stable Diffusion, or chatbots like ChatGPT that can churn out astonishingly convincing text thanks to the power of large language models. But in fact, the real work on generative AI has been happening in the background, in small increments, for many years. One demonstration of that comes from Insilico Medicine, where Harry's guest this week, Alex Zhavoronkov, is the co-CEO. Since at least 2016, Zhavoronkov has been publishing papers about the power of a class of AI algorithms called generative adversarial networks or GANs to help with drug discovery. One of the main selling points for GANs in pharma research is that they can generate lots of possible designs for molecules that could carry out specified functions in the body, such as binding to a defective protein to stop it from working. Drug hunters still have to sort through all the possible molecules identified by GANs to see which ones will actually work in vitro or in vivo, but at least their pool of starting points can be bigger and possibly more specific.Zhavoronkov says that when Insilico first started touting this approach back in the mid-2010s, few people in the drug business believed it would work. So to persuade investors and partners of the technology's power, the company decided to take a drug designed by its own algorithms all the way to clinical trials. And it's now done that. This February the FDA granted orphan drug designation to a small-molecule drug Insilico is testing as a treatment for a form of lung scarring called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Both the target for the compound, and the design of the molecule itself, were generated by Insilico's AI. The designation was a big milestone for the company and for the overall idea of using generative models in drug discovery. In this week's interview, Zhavoronkov talks about how Insilico got to this point; why he thinks the company will survive the shakeout happening in the biotech industry right now; and how its suite of generative algorithms and other technologies such as robotic wet labs could change the way the pharmaceutical industry operates.For a full transcript of this episode, please visit our episode page at http://www.glorikian.com/podcast Please rate and review The Harry Glorikian Show on Apple Podcasts! Here's how to do that from an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch:1. Open the Podcasts app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. 2. Navigate to The Harry Glorikian Show podcast. You can find it by searching for it or selecting it from your library. Just note that you'll have to go to the series page which shows all the episodes, not just the page for a single episode.3. Scroll down to find the subhead titled "Ratings & Reviews."4. Under one of the highlighted reviews, select "Write a Review."5. Next, select a star rating at the top — you have the option of choosing between one and five stars. 6. Using the text box at the top, write a title for your review. Then, in the lower text box, write your review. Your review can be up to 300 words long.7. Once you've finished, select "Send" or "Save" in the top-right corner. 8. If you've never left a podcast review before, enter a nickname. Your nickname will be displayed next to any reviews you leave from here on out. 9. After selecting a nickname, tap OK. Your review may not be immediately visible.That's it! Thanks so much.
For episode 7, we chat with Alex Zhavoronkov, Founder & CEO at Insilico Medicine.Stay tuned and find out which partnerships are crucial for very early stages in learning and gaining experience in drug discovery. First In Human is a biotech-focused podcast that interviews industry leaders and investors to learn about their journey to in-human clinical trials. Presented by Vial, a tech-enabled CRO, hosted by Simon Burns, CEO & Co-Founder. Episodes launch weekly on Tuesdays. To view the full episode transcript, click here. Interested in being featured as a guest on First In Human? Please reach out to catie@vial.com.
This episode discusses progress at Insilico Medicine, the AI drug development company founded by our guest, longevity pioneer Alex Zhavoronkov.1.20 In Feb 2022, Insilico got an IPF drug into phase 1 clinical trials: a first for a wholly AI-developed drug1.50 Insilico is now well-funded; its software is widely used in the pharma industry2.30 How drug development works. First you create a hypothesis about what causes a disease4.00 Pandaomics is Insilico's software to generate hypotheses. It combines 20+ AI models, and huge public data repositories6.00 This first phase is usually done in academia. It usually costs $ billions to develop a hypothesis. 95% of them fail6.50 The second phase is developing a molecule which might treat the disease7.15 This is the job of Insilico's Chemistry 42 platform7.30 The classical approach is to test thousands of molecules to see if they bind to the target protein7.50 AI, by contrast, is able to "imagine" a novel molecule which might bind to it8.00 You then test 10-15 molecules which have the desired characteristics8.20 This is done with a variety of genetic algorithms, Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), and some Transformer networks8.35 Insilico has a “zoo” of 40 validated models10.40 Given the ten-fold improvement, why hasn't the whole drug industry adopted this process?10.50 They do all have AI groups and they are trying to change, but they are huge companies, and it takes time11.50 Is it better to invent new molecules, or re-purpose old drugs, which are already known to be safe in humans?13.00 You can't gain IP with re-purposed drugs: either somebody else “owns” them, or they are already generic15.00 The IPF drug was identified during aging research, using aging clocks, and a deep neural net trained on longitudinal data17.10 The third phase is where Insilico's other platform, InClinico, comes into play17.35 InClinico predicts the results of phase 2 (clinical efficacy) trials18.15 InClinico is trained on massive data sets about previous trials19.40 InClinico is actually Insilico's oldest system. Its value has only been ascertained now that some drugs have made it all the way through the pipeline22.05 A major pharma company asked Insilico to predict the outcome of ten of its trials22.30 Nine of these ten trials were predicted correctly23.00 But the company decided that adopting this methodology would be too much of an upheaval; it was unwilling to rely on outsiders so heavily24.15 Hedge funds and banks have no such qualms24.25 Insilico is doing pilots for their investments in biotech startups26.30 Alex is from Latvia originally, studied in Canada, started his career in the US, but Insilico was established in Hong Kong. Why?27.00 Chinese CROs, Contract Research Organisations, enable you to do research without having your own wetlab 28.00 Like Apple, Insilico designs in the US and does operations in China. You can also do clinical studies there28.45 They needed their own people inside those CROs, so had to be co-located29.10 Hong Kong still has great IP protection, financial expertise, scientific resources, and is a beautiful place to live29.40 Post-Covid, Insilico also had to set up a site in Shanghai30.35 It is very frustrating how much opposition has built up against international co-operation32.00 Anti-globalisation ideas and attitudes are bad for longevity research, and all of biotech33.20 Insilico has all the data it needs. Its bottleneck is talent35.00 Another requirement is co-operation from governments and regulators, who often struggle to sort the chaff from the wheat in self-proclaimed AI companies37.00 Longevity research is the most philanthropic activity in the world37.30 Longevity Medicine Course is available to get clinical practitioners up to speed with the sector