How AI uncovers new ways to tackle difficult diseases such as IPF

[Drfun]

Alex Zhavoronkov holds up a small, green, diamond-shaped pill on a video call. It's a drug his company developed to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a rare and serious lung disease. The cause of IPF is unknown, and there's no cure. While the drug isn't approved yet, early clinical trials have shown great promise.



This drug is part of a new wave of treatments where artificial intelligence (AI) has played a key role in finding solutions. According to Alex, his company might not be the first to have an AI-designed drug approved, but they're definitely leading the way.

AI is changing how drugs are discovered. Smaller biotech companies and big pharmaceutical companies are using AI to do the work that was once done by traditional medicinal chemists. One notable player is Alphabet, Google's parent company, which launched Isomorphic Labs in 2021 to focus on AI drug discovery. Their CEO, Demis Hassabis, recently shared the Nobel prize for his AI model, which could be a big help in creating new drugs.

Using AI for drug discovery could speed up the process, save money, and help more drugs succeed. Right now, bringing a new drug to market takes around 10 to 15 years and costs over $2 billion. About 90% of drugs fail during trials. AI could reduce the time, cost, and risk involved, making it easier to get treatments to patients.

Experts say we're just at the beginning of what AI can do in drug discovery. But while AI could make the process more efficient, it's unlikely to replace scientists. Instead, AI will be a tool for them to work alongside, helping reduce the number of failed drugs and improving success rates.