Biotech firms are turning to artificial intelligence to boost productivity and address talent shortages. Insilico Medicine is building a multi‑task AI platform that can generate disease hypotheses, design candidate molecules and even repurpose existing drugs, aiming to speed drug discovery and cut costs. GenEditBio is using AI to design engineered protein delivery vehicles that target specific tissues for in‑vivo CRISPR therapy, recently receiving FDA clearance for a corneal‑dystrophy trial. Both companies stress the need for richer, more diverse data to improve model accuracy and envision future tools such as digital twins for virtual clinical testing. Read more →

Nephrogen, a biotech startup founded by Stanford graduate Demetri Maxim, is developing an AI‑driven delivery system for gene‑editing medicines aimed at treating polycystic kidney disease (PKD). After a personal battle with PKD, Maxim combined insights from a 2021 Nature study with advanced screening to create a vehicle that is claimed to be 100 times more efficient than existing FDA‑approved options. The company, a finalist in TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield, is seeking a $4 million seed round to move its delivery platform and a companion drug into clinical trials, potentially as early as 2027. Read more →