For the first time ever, a drug formulated by artificial intelligence (AI) is going to be used in human trials.
It usually takes around five years for a drug to reach the trial phase. However, this drug reached the trial stage in just 12 months.
The medicine will be used to treat patients who suffer from OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). It was developed by British startup Exscientia and Japanese pharmaceutical firm Sumoitomo Dainippon Pharma.
“We have seen AI for diagnosing patients and for analyzing patient data and scans, but this is a direct use of AI in the creation of a new medicine,” professor Andrew Hopkins from Exscientia told BBC News.
The drug was developed through algorithms that screened through potential compounds and checked them against a database.
The medicine is going to enter the first phase of trials in Japan. If the tests are successful, then the drug will be tested globally.
Further, the firms are already working on developing drugs for cancer and cardiovascular disease. It hopes to have another drug ready for trials by the end of this year.
Source: BBC News
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