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Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced the launch of Amazon Bio Discovery, an application designed to provide scientists with a catalog of specialized AI models trained on vast datasets to help identify potential drug candidates.
The platform gives scientists a library of AI models, dubbed biological foundation models (bioFMs), that can generate and evaluate potential drug molecules to help identify antibody therapies in the early stages of drug discovery.
Scientists can also train models using their own prior experimentation data.
"Furthermore, they can easily send candidates to physical labs for synthesis and testing – with results routing back to the application for rapid iteration, creating a lab-in-the-loop experimentation cycle," AWS said in a statement.
Through the platform, scientists can also interact with AI agents that can automate complex tasks and help them design experiments. The agents can help select the right AI models for research, optimize input parameters, and identify the best candidates for experimentation and lab testing.
"AI agents make powerful scientific capabilities accessible to all drug researchers, not just those with computational expertise," Rajiv Chopra, vice president of AWS Healthcare AI and Life Sciences, said in a statement.
"These AI systems can help scientists design drug molecules, coordinate testing, learn from results and get smarter with each experiment. This combination of cutting-edge AI and the robust, secure infrastructure AWS has built for regulated industries allows scientists to accelerate antibody discovery in ways that weren't possible before."
THE LARGER TREND
Several announcements regarding AI use in the life sciences sector were unveiled on Tuesday, including OpenAI's strategic partnership with Novo Nordisk, which would see the tech giant’s most advanced models adopted throughout the pharmaceutical company's vast workflow.
The partners said they will use AI for drug discovery, including analyzing complex datasets, identifying drug candidates and reducing the time from research to when a patient receives a medication. OpenAI will also "upskill" Novo Nordisk's workforce by improving their AI literacy.
Additionally, Starfire, a Redesign Health-backed startup, announced its launch exclusively through MobiHealthNews, offering AI to help life sciences companies commercialize therapies.
Starfire's technology enables agents to automate complex analyses, including the design and execution of large-scale patient journey analyses across multiple cohorts. It also helps identify high-impact intervention points throughout the care journey and create cost, outcomes and budget-impact models to support clinical and financial performance.
