Healthcare AI Guy Weekly Newsletter | 4/30

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Our Picks ✨

Highlights if you’ve only got 2 minutes…

1/

AI can successfully edit human DNA

Generative AI is making significant strides in biotech. Berkeley-based startup, Profluent, just developed OpenCRISPR-1, the world's first open-source AI-developed gene editor capable of editing the human genome.

• Profluent trained LLMs on a vast dataset of diverse CRISPR systems to generate millions of new CRISPR-like proteins not found in nature.

• OpenCRISPR-1 worked as well as or better than a naturally occurring editor.

• CEO Ali Madani said the success points to a future where AI “precisely designs what is needed to create a range of bespoke cures for disease.”

• Profluent open-sourced the model to make the gene-editing tech more accessible to researchers working on disease treatments.

Gene editing already had the potential to revolutionize the medical field, and adding AI to the mix could take it to a whole new level. Gene editing presents a 0→1 opportunity to fundamentally change the blueprint that makes us human: our DNA. We are one step closer to AI designing exactly what’s needed to create bespoke disease cures, which is mind-blowing to me. (link)

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Moderna and OpenAI launch partnership

Biotech giant Moderna announced an expanded partnership with OpenAI to integrate AI across its entire enterprise, aiming to accelerate the development of life-saving mRNA treatments and streamline operational efficiency across the business. Here are the highlights:

• Moderna aims to use AI to maintain a lean workforce while scaling up its capabilities to launch up to 15 new products in the next five years.

• The partnership allows thousands of Moderna employees to develop customized GPTs, from legal affairs to manufacturing and research.

• The initial deployment of an internal AI chatbot, mChat, built on OpenAI’s API, achieved over 80% adoption rate.

• mChat has helped to improve Moderna's capacity for data analysis in clinical trials, compliance, and corporate communications.

• CEO Stephane Bancel said Moderna is looking to ‘redesign every business process’ with AI, allowing the 3,000-person team to perform like 100,000.

Moderna’s AI adoption could not only supercharge the development of revolutionary treatments, but also serve as a blueprint for other enterprises to deploy ChatGPT or other AI tools within their organizations. (link)

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Xaira raises $1 billion to use AI to make new drugs

A star-studded mix of venture capitalists and scientists, backed by more than $1 billion in funding, launched an ambitious biotech called Xaira Therapeutics — which aims to reinvent drug R&D using AI.

The new company is one of 2024’s most highly funded startups, not only in biotech but across the startup world… This highlights the massive amount of enthusiasm and technological progress in using AI to unlock our understanding of biology. Xaira has a high-powered Board including thought leader Dr. Scott Gottlieb and selected Marc Tessier-Lavigne, formerly the president of Stanford University and Chief Scientific Officer of Genentech, as CEO. The startup is apparently ready to start developing drugs, looking to turn a cash-flush vision into reality. (link)

Tools & Partnerships 🔧

Latest on business, consumer, and clinical healthcare AI tools and partnerships…

TOOLS

• AI accelerates Parkinson’s treatment: Researchers from the University of Cambridge just developed an AI method to quickly find potential treatments for Parkinson's disease. This iterative process led to the discovery of five highly potent compounds that are hundreds of times more effective than previously reported options. The AI method accelerates the initial screening process 10x and reduces costs by 1000x. (link)

• AI improves physician-nurse collaboration: The use of an AI-powered deterioration model significantly reduced the risk of escalations in care for inpatients at Stanford Health Care, according to a recent study in JAMA Internal Medicine. Overall, deterioration events – ICU transfers, rapid response team incidents, and codes – declined 10.4% among 963 patients who were on the verge of being considered high-risk. The AI model scanned vital signs, EHR, and lab data every 15 minutes to alert medical teams of any red flags. (link)

• AI and computer vision to detect brain abnormalities: Researchers at the Al Buraimi University College looked at different parts of MRI images, like color and texture, to find problems accurately. By looking at the symmetry between the brain's lobes, they developed an algorithm with precision, recall, and accuracy rates of 95.3%, 94.7%, and 95%, respectively. (link)

• Cleveland Clinic uses AI to link gut microbiome to Alzheimer’s: Cleveland Clinic researchers used AI to explore connections between gut bacteria and Alzheimer’s, predicting which protein pairs impact disease development. (link)

• OpenAI rolls out ChatGPT memory: OpenAI began rolling out its ChatGPT memory feature to a larger group of Free and Plus users, giving ChatGPT a new ability to carry over learnings between conversations. (link)

PARTNERSHIPS

• Ensemble Health + Microsoft: Ensemble Health Partners is expanding its partnership with Microsoft to accelerate innovation of EIQ, its proprietary revenue cycle intelligence platform. The platform leverages Microsoft Azure generative AI and machine learning to ‘support automation, machine learning, artificial intelligence and generative AI across the entire revenue cycle.’ (link)

• Memorial Hermann + Zipline: Memorial Hermann Health System is the latest hospital system to partner with Zipline, a drone and logistics company. Memorial Hermann plans to deliver specialty prescriptions and medical supplies to patients’ doorsteps by 2026, allowing patients to order and track their deliveries as the drones travel to their doorsteps and patio tables. (link)

Deal Desk 💸 

Spotlight on latest capital raises, M&A, and investments…

FUNDING

• Xaira Therapeutics, a San Francisco-based developer of AI technologies designed for drug discovery and development, raised $1B in funding. ARCH Venture Partners and Foresite Labs led the round and were joined by F-Prime, NEA, Sequoia Capital, Lux Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Menlo Ventures, Two Sigma Ventures, and others. (link)

• Smart Reporting, an AI-supported radiologist software, raised $25M in funding. TVM Capital Life Science led with additional contributions from Bayern Kapital and existing investors. (link)

• Alaffia Health, an AI-powered healthtech that works with payers and third-party administrators to minimize fraud and help clinicians conduct reviews more efficiently, raised $10M in series A funding. FirstMark Capital led with participation from others. (link)

• Handl Health, an LA-based AI-powered platform that compares healthcare pricing data to help benefits consultants design and manage health plans, raised $2.5M in seed funding. Mucker Capital and Everywhere VC led the round and was joined by others. (link)

Other Relevant News 🔍

News, podcasts, blogs, tweets, resources, etc…

• Payer executives plan for AI implementation (link)

• Benefits, challenges of using genAI in healthcare examined (link)

• 'Nicety' vs. 'necessity': 37 impressions of AI in healthcare (link)

• Inside Nvidia's plan to dominate biotech's AI revolution (link)

• Future of: life sciences, software & the evolution of digital health (link)

• The algorithm journey map: a tangible approach to implementing AI solutions in healthcare (link)

Visuals of the Week 📸

Funny memes, cool pics, and interesting data from around the web…