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Hey, hiya. Right now we discuss whether or not the AI overlords will commandeer most cancers analysis (on high of every thing else on this world), WuXi is seeking to promote a few of its operations, ostensibly due to the BIOSECURE Act, and extra.
The necessity-to-know this morning
Italian pharma firm keep in mind stated it’ll purchase from Sanofi the worldwide rights to an accredited drug to deal with chilly agglutinin illness, a uncommon autoimmune dysfunction, for $825 million.
Will AI exchange principal investigators in most cancers?
OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman claims that, sooner or later, synthetic intelligence might upend most cancers analysis by changing the principal investigator. However many scientists, together with machine studying biologist Shantanu Singh of the Broad Institute, assume AI lacks the ingenuity of a human scientist — and gained’t be curing most cancers any time quickly.
“Is there a capability of those fashions to imitate what we name creativity?” Singh requested in an interview with STAT.
However Singh makes use of AI usually to do his most cancers analysis, and believes there are highly effective purposes for the expertise within the near-term, significantly in digital pathology and complicated knowledge processing.
Learn extra.
WuXi appears to be like to promote belongings as BIOSECURE Act looms
Chinese language drugmakers WuXi AppTec and WuXi Biologics need to divest a few of their operations: They’re underneath intense scrutiny due to the U.S. BIOSECURE Act, the Monetary Occasions writes, because the laws would ban drugmakers with U.S. authorities contracts from utilizing WuXi companies.
WuXi AppTec is in talks to promote its Philadelphia-based cell and gene remedy unit, and WuXi Biologics is exploring whether or not there’s curiosity in buying its European amenities, given the 27% drop in revenues from European prospects earlier this 12 months. WuXi’s inventory declined sharply this 12 months, and it’s struggling to draw new prospects — although would possibly maintain onto its belongings if its present purchasers keep on board.
What causes auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia?
There’s lastly new perception into why some folks with schizophrenia expertise auditory hallucinations, listening to voices and sounds when there are none. A brand new examine in PLOS Biology reveals that, in schizophrenia, some folks expertise “damaged” and “noisy” motor indicators after they’re making ready to talk, which causes indicators to misfire within the mind. This might open up new doorways for schizophrenia therapy.
“Some sufferers are actually immune to medication — perhaps that’s as a result of it’s onerous to modulate the perform community [with them],” the examine’s lead creator informed STAT’s Timmy Broderick. “If our principle is correct, then utilizing a non-invasive neuromodulation method can alleviate the hallucinations.”
Learn extra.
Who’s President Biden’s well being care AI czar?
What does he do? And why do some of us imagine he has one of many hardest jobs in D.C.? We discuss all that and extra on this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast. Our colleague Mohana Ravindranath joins us to speak about Micky Tripathi, charged with coordinating how AI is used throughout totally different authorities companies and extra broadly throughout the well being care trade.
We additionally chat about some vital biotech examine readouts due earlier than the tip of the 12 months, a brand new, well-funded weight problems firm, and the profitable serial CEO working it. Lastly, Adam and Allison lament the truth that Elaine hasn’t but watched the primary episode of this season’s “Nice British Baking Present.”
Pay attention right here.
Extra reads
Gilead to donate remdesivir for emergency use towards Marburg illness in Rwanda, Reuters
European VC agency Kurma closes first $154M of largest deliberate fund, eyes as much as 20 biotech investments, FierceBiotech
Opdivo will get FDA approval to be used round lung most cancers surgical procedure, following Keytruda and Imfinzi, Endpoints
