By 2021, studies had already shown AI's potential in diagnosing various cancers. The future may see AI evolving into our primary healthcare provider.

What You’ll Get a Taste of

1. AI in Healthcare: The shift towards a data-driven healthcare system is underway.

2. Superior Diagnostics: AI's potential in outperforming doctors in certain diagnoses

3. The New GP: AI is redefining our primary healthcare interactions

📰 AI in the News

AI's Role in Revolutionizing Drug Discovery

The world of drug discovery, often described as one of the most challenging sectors, is witnessing a transformative shift with the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Chipmaking giant Nvidia has invested a whopping $50 million in biotech startup Recursion. This investment aims to bolster the development of Recursion's AI foundation models tailored for biology and chemistry.

Recursion's Chief Technology Officer, Ben Mabey, envisions the company as the cornerstone in the drug discovery domain. While the task is monumental, the collaboration between Nvidia and Recursion is rooted in the belief that AI can be the game-changer. Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, emphasized the potential of Generative AI as a groundbreaking tool in unveiling new medicines and treatments.

Interestingly, Recursion isn't alone in this pursuit. The company recently acquired two North American firms, Cyclica and Valence, both operating in the AI-driven drug discovery arena. However, a closer look reveals that many of their competitors are based in Israel. Experts believe that Israel's academic prowess, coupled with its entrepreneurial spirit, positions it as a potential hub for AI-enabled biotech innovations.

In essence, the marriage of AI and biotech is not just about technological advancements but holds the promise of reshaping the future of medicine. As companies globally race to harness AI's potential in drug discovery, the landscape of healthcare and treatment is set for a paradigm shift. (Full Story)

The Quest for Longevity: Sam Altman's $180M Investment in Anti-Aging Biotech

Sam Altman, renowned for launching OpenAI's ChatGPT, is now diving deep into the world of biotech. He has invested a staggering $180 million in Retro Biosciences, a San Francisco-based startup with an ambitious goal: to add 10 more years to the healthy human lifespan. This investment is one of the most significant individual contributions to an anti-aging startup to date.

Retro Biosciences, founded by biotech veterans Joe Betts-LaCroix, Sheng Ding, and Matthew Buckley, aims to explore the intricacies of aging and biology. The connection between Altman and Betts-LaCroix traces back to Y Combinator, a startup incubator that Altman led. Altman's interest in health research was piqued after learning about studies where old mice rejuvenated with the blood of younger ones.

Altman's investment reflects a broader trend in Silicon Valley, where tech moguls like Peter Theil and Jeff Bezos are also showing keen interest in health and longevity research. As the race to unlock the secrets of aging intensifies, Altman's investment in Retro Biosciences underscores the potential of biotech in reshaping our future. (Full Story)

🏥 More Industry News

AI's Speedy Diagnostics: A team from Edith Cowan University has developed an AI capable of rapidly analyzing X-ray images for signs of "abdominal aortic calcification" (AAC), a predictor of cardiovascular diseases. The AI demonstrated an 80% match rate with specialist evaluations, analyzing images in mere seconds compared to the 5-15 minutes taken by human specialists. This advancement could pave the way for large-scale cardiovascular disease screening, enabling early interventions and lifestyle changes. (link)

AI Combatting Doctor Burnout: Hospitals, including Baptist Health, are turning to AI solutions like Microsoft's Nuance DAX app to reduce administrative burdens on doctors, aiming to prevent burnout and enhance patient care. (link)

Biological Age Estimation: Osaka Metropolitan University scientists unveil an AI model that uses chest radiographs to accurately determine a patient's biological age. Disparities between the AI-estimated age and chronological age can indicate the presence of chronic diseases, offering a novel approach to early disease detection. (link)

AI-Powered Rehabilitation: Stroke survivor Julie Lloyd is relearning to walk with the aid of "NeuroSkin," a high-tech AI-driven garment. Developed by Kurage, this "smart garment" uses electrical muscle stimulation controlled by AI to mirror the impulses from the brain to the healthy leg, recreating a natural stride. This innovative approach offers a promising avenue for stroke rehabilitation, potentially transforming the recovery journey for many. (link)

Medical Research Revolution: Harvard scientists tap into Google's cloud platform, replicating supercomputer capabilities for a groundbreaking heart disease study. This approach promises to overcome traditional computing limitations, heralding a new era of accelerated medical research and discoveries. (link)

LabGenius AI: At a former biscuit factory in South London, LabGenius is pioneering an AI-driven approach to engineer medical antibodies. Their machine learning algorithm, in tandem with robotic systems, designs, tests, and refines antibodies targeting specific diseases, all with minimal human intervention. This innovative method not only expedites the discovery process but also uncovers unique antibody designs that might be overlooked by traditional human-driven methods. (link)

📈 Venture Deals

According to CB insights Healthcare AI companies have raised $2.6B across 192 deals in 2023 as of Aug 1. Here we’ll just highlight a few deals of interest:

• VBA has closed a $156M majority growth equity transaction led by Spectrum Equity. VBA is a leader in cloud-based benefits software for healthcare payers (link)

• OpenEvidence raised $27M at a $425M valuation to enhance chatbots in medical settings by providing them real-time access to the latest scientific research, allowing the AI to deliver updated answers with relevant citations from recent studies. (link)

• Mendaera raises a $24M Series A to develop a collaborative robotic AI system for healthcare providers. (link)

• Hippocratic AI, a generative AI company developing safety-focused large language models for healthcare, added $15M in funding to its seed round, bringing its total raise to $65M since its launch in May. (link)

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