Top market ‘AI in biotech’ stories
Here’s your latest installment of our selection of AI in biotech news.
In just 3-4 minutes, catch up on the innovations reshaping drug discovery and biomedical research.
In today’s edition:
🧠 Specialist AI for clinicians reaches $6B valuation
🧬 Whole-genome sequencing completed in under 4 hours
🧪 FDA proposes new models for gene therapy trials
🔮 AI predicts long-term disease trajectories across populations
🧫 Gene therapy slows Huntington’s disease progression by 75%
“ChatGPT for Doctors” Just Hit a $6B Valuation
OpenEvidence, an AI platform used by 40% of U.S. physicians and over 10,000 hospitals, has raised $200M at a $6B valuation.
Unlike general-purpose LLMs, its engine pulls exclusively from peer-reviewed sources (NEJM, JAMA, and others), synthesizing knowledge from more than 35 million publications. The tool is ad-supported and free to use for clinicians, and is already powering millions of consultations monthly.
The direction is clear: healthcare AI is moving toward purpose-built systems that can be trusted for evidence-grounded decisions.
source: Techcrunch
The 4-Hour Human Genome
Broad Clinical Labs, in collaboration with Roche Sequencing Solutions and Boston Children’s Hospital, has set a GUINNESS WORLD RECORD™ for the fastest whole-genome sequencing. Using Roche’s SBX technology and an optimized pipeline, the team delivered complete sequencing in under 4 hours.
The workflow supports same-day diagnostics for neonatal and critical care, offering immediate answers in cases where delays can mean lost therapeutic windows.
source: Broad Institute
FDA Opens New Paths for Rare-Disease Gene Therapies
The FDA has released new draft guidance for clinical trials in small populations, with a focus on cell and gene therapy products.
The document introduces alternative designs – Bayesian models, external controls, adaptive trials, and master protocols-intended for cases where traditional randomization is infeasible.
This approach enables greater flexibility in rare-disease R&D while preserving rigor and regulatory clarity.
source: FDA
AI Maps Long-Term Health Trajectories
Delphi-2M is a new predictive model trained on records from over 2 million patients across the UK and Denmark.
The system can simulate an individual’s risk across more than 1,000 diseases based on medical history, lifestyle, and biological patterns – enabling forecasting years before symptoms arise.
Applications range from preventive care to optimizing patient selection and endpoints in clinical trials.
source: The Guardian
Gene Therapy Slows Huntington’s by 75%
In a first-in-human trial, a new gene therapy targeting the huntingtin gene slowed disease progression by 75%.
The therapy uses an engineered viral vector to silence the faulty gene and was delivered via high-precision neurosurgery lasting up to 18 hours.
Participants regained motor function, returned to work, and demonstrated quality-of-life improvements previously thought unattainable.
source: BBC
