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Lila Bio has received a $3.65 million NIH grant to develop an AI-designed protein treatment for pulmonary hypertension. The award funds preclinical testing, not a treatment ready for patients, but it gives the biotech a substantial next step from protein design towards experimental medicine.
Why it mattersWhat happened GeekWire reports that the grant from the NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute is split into two phases. The first, worth $605,981, will support early tests in mice, rats and non-human primates. The second, worth $3,049,462, will fund further animal testing and studies using lung tissue from patients. Lila Bio uses AI and machine learning to design therapeutic proteins. The company says this project is aimed at a protein-based treatment that could be given by injection a few times a year. That is the proposed goal, not a demonstrated result. Why it matters
Discuss: What evidence should a biotech show before an AI-designed medicine earns confidence beyond its promising design?
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