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Biopharma’s relationship with AI is reaching a tipping point. While Big Pharma doubles down on AI to streamline development, a wave of startups is betting the tech can overhaul R&D from the ground up....

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Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · 28d

So, Eli Lilly has launched TuneLab. What's next?

Mark your calendars for our AI Day on Oct. 14. Our free + virtual sessions include Aliza Apple, TuneLab's leader at Lilly.

Sign up here in <10 secs for free access to livestreams & on-demand recordings: events.endpoints.news/aiday2025/re...

AI Day 2025

events.endpoints.news

In first-of-its-kind setup, Lilly offers startups free access to its AI models in exchange for data

Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · 29d

NEW: Eli Lilly, the world's most valuable drugmaker, is offering biotechs free access to a suite of its own AI models for R&D.

My latest dives into TuneLab's unique setup and initial focus on small molecule ADMET and antibody developability:
endpoints.news/eli-lilly-of...

Eli Lilly is offering an unusual deal to any biotech: contribute some data, and in exchange, get access to many of Lilly's own AI models. The initiative, called TuneLab, debuted ...

Exclusive: Neuro startup Leal raises $30M Series A for schizophrenia and ALS trials

Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · Aug 26

Exclusive: Asa Abeliovich's Leal Therapeutics has closed a $30M Series A, funding its two lead drug candidates for schizophrenia and ALS trials

More here — including a surprising obesity angle to its lead compound: endpoints.news/neuro-biotec...

Leal Therapeutics raises Series A funding led by SV Health Investors for neurology drugs LTX-001 and LTX-002. CEO Asa Abeliovich plans clinical trials through 2026.

Exclusive: OpenAI, Retro Bio detail lab results with AI protein model, plan use in drug program

Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · Aug 22

Exclusive: I talked with leaders of OpenAI and Retro Bio about new lab results from an AI protein model called GPT-4b micro.

While the model won't be released publicly, the research shows how LLMs could be applied to life sciences research:
endpoints.news/openai-retro...

OpenAI and Retro Biosciences report AI-made proteins showed 50x better cell reprogramming using modified Yamanaka factors, with potential therapeutic applications

Exclusive: Formation licenses first drug since $372M raise, eyes more deals in 2025

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Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · Jul 29

Exclusive: Formation Bio raised a $372M Series D last year.

Later today, the New York biopharma will announce its first licensing deal since raising that money — bringing in a CD226 antibody from the Spanish biotech IMIDomics.

My latest for @endpts.com: endpoints.news/exclusive-fo...

Formation Bio licenses first-in-class anti-CD226 antibody from IMIDomics for IBD treatment, marking first drug acquisition since $372M Series D raise in 2023.

Revolution and Iambic to combine data and AI models in R&D deal for cancer drugs

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Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · Jul 9

NEW: RevMed will pair its unique library of molecular structures and data with the AI models developed by Iambic Therapeutics, the two biotechs announced Wednesday.

Revolution to pay $25 million in short term to Iambic through upfront + near-term milestones:
endpoints.news/revolution-a...

Revolution Medicines has become one of the industry's most valuable pre-commercial companies thanks to its pipeline of clinical-stage cancer drugs. CEO Mark Goldsmith is pressing ahead on ...

Biopharma's 20 highest-paid CEOs of 2024 with $20M+ paydays

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Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · Jul 8

This has turned into an annual summer tradition of mine — analyzing compensation trends across the biopharma world

In today's story, I analyzed 475 CEO pay packages, finding the 20 highest-paid for 2024:
endpoints.news/the-highest-...

Biopharma CEO median pay hit $4.73M in 2024, up 40%. 20 CEOs made over $20M, including Pfizer's Bourla, Vertex's Kewalramani, Amgen's Bradway & Royalty Pharma's Legorreta.

KalVista CEO says FDA review proceeded normally, was unaware of Makary's rejection ask

Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · Jul 7

NEW: I interviewed KalVista CEO Ben Palleiko on the heels of its FDA approval for an HAE drug.

"We were fairly blindsided by when your report came out, because until then, we hadn’t had the slightest idea.”

More here in my latest for @endpts.com
endpoints.news/kalvista-ceo...

The company felt 'fairly blindsided' upon reading the report that FDA Commissioner Marty Makary had briefly yet unsuccessfully tried to intervene in the review of its newly-approved HAE drug.

Despite delay, KalVista wins FDA approval after Makary's short-lived attempt to intervene

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Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · Jul 7

Despite delay, KalVista wins FDA approval after Makary's short-lived attempt to intervene
endpoints.news/fda-approves...

FDA approves KalVista Pharmaceuticals' sebetralstat for hereditary angioedema after controversy involving FDA Commissioner Makary's attempted intervention in review process

China’s rise splits US biotech investors: Cash in, or counter?

Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · Jul 2

NEW: An inside look at the growing divide among US-based biotech investors over China's ascent

Some VCs are capitalizing on China's rise by licensing in molecules and forming NewCo's.

Others, like Curie Bio's Zach Weinberg, see a threat to the US biotech industry:
endpoints.news/us-investors...

US investors debate response to China's rise in drug development, with some seeing a national security threat while others embrace collaboration. FDA and policymakers consider reforms to maintain comp...

FDA head Makary’s short-lived CRL ask on KalVista’s drug raises more concerns of political intervention

Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · Jun 27

NEW: Some expert reaction & further context around FDA head Marty Makary's unsuccessful attempt to intervene in KalVista's drug review:
endpoints.news/fda-head-mak...

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary’s unsuccessful attempt to intervene in an ongoing drug review, as described by multiple agency sources, raises further concerns about the regulator under its new leadersh...

Exclusive: FDA's Makary sought rejection of KalVista’s drug in an unusual move by commissioner, sources say

Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · Jun 24

Exclusive: FDA's Makary sought rejection of KalVista’s drug in an unusual move by commissioner, sources say
endpoints.news/sources-fda-...

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary reportedly attempted to reject KalVista Pharmaceuticals' drug application, sources said. An HHS spokesperson calls the claim 'totally false.'

Basecamp pitches a fix for AI bio's 'data wall'

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Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · Jun 11

Basecamp CEO Glen Glowers on a "data wall" in AI bio:

“These foundation models are simply at a point where they cannot grow anymore. We’ve effectively run out of the internet in biology."

BaseData is like "being able to grow more internet for biology," Gowers says: endpoints.news/basecamp-res...

Basecamp Research's global expeditions built BaseData, containing 9.8B protein sequences - 10x larger than public datasets - to advance AI biology models with Nvidia

Exclusive: Rebooting dead human brains, a biotech startup seeks to reinvent early drug testing work

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Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · Jun 10

Here's a must-read deep dive into Bexorg, a biotech restoring dead human brains for better drug testing.

A wild one from New Haven, CT from @scienceboss.bsky.social : endpoints.news/rebooting-de...

Startup Bexorg, led by Zvonimir Vrselja, keeps human brains alive to test drugs. Their BrainEx system sustains brain cells for 24 hours to improve drug development and reduce animal testing.

Recursion to lay off 20% of staff, a month after slashing its pipeline

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Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · Jun 10

NEW: Recursion is laying off 20% of its workforce, likely cutting over 150 jobs, @kylelahucik.bsky.social reports

Recursion, a first generation AI-focused biotech, cut its pipeline nearly in half last month, shelving five clinical- or near-clinical-stage programs

endpoints.news/recursion-to...

The Salt Lake City-based biotech disclosed the job cuts in an SEC filing on Tuesday morning. More than 150 employees are likely being let go.

MIT scientists’ AI model one-ups AlphaFold 3, takes on ‘fundamental issue’ in drug R&D

Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · Jun 6

NEW: A trio of young MIT scientists say their new AI model has made progress in predicting binding affinity, a key property in drug discovery

Good affinity prediction has evaded other AI models, but Boltz-2 showed solid improvement:
endpoints.news/mit-scientis...

MIT scientists unveil Boltz-2, a new AI model predicting drug binding affinities. Led by Gabriele Corso, Saro Passaro & Jeremy Wohlwend, it outperforms previous AI methods in drug discovery.

Exclusive: Tech VC Amplify raises $200M for first biotech fund, hires Elliot Hershberg as new partner

Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · Jun 5

Exclusive: Amplify Partners has raised $200 million for its first biotech-specific fund

Targeting ~20 investments of $1.5m-$10m in pre-seed/seed/Series A-stage startups.

The Silicon Valley VC has also hired @elliothershberg.com as a partner: endpoints.news/amplify-rais...

The biotech fund — officially called Amplify Bio Fund I — plans to make about 20 investments exclusively in pre-seed, seed and Series A rounds.

Q&A: Sandoz CEO Richard Saynor on generic GLP-1s, Trump's industry impact, and Mark Cuban's company

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Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · Jun 3

Q&A: Sandoz CEO on the natural tension of generics vs. pharma, the coming generic GLP-1 experiment, Trump's tariffs, & more:
endpoints.news/qa-sandoz-ce...

Richard Saynor discusses his 35-year career in generics, Sandoz's 80% stock rise since the Novartis spinoff, and views on drug pricing and FDA changes.

Exclusive: Toronto biotech ProteinQure nears the clinic with peptide platform as it raises $11M Series A

Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · May 27

Exclusive: ProteinQure has raised an $11 million Series A, planning to enter the clinic later this year with its first drug candidate: a peptide-drug conjugate for triple-negative breast cancer
endpts.com/exclusive-pr...

ProteinQure raises $11M Series A led by Heron Rock to advance PQ203, a peptide-drug conjugate for triple-negative breast cancer, into clinical trials by Q3, pivoting from quantum to AI.

Post-Hoc: AI bio needs to heed the overhyped history of CRISPR

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Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · May 22

Post-Hoc: AI's CRISPR moment

Both technologies are powerful and hold vast potential. But the AI bio field should learn lessons from the overhyped history of CRISPR in how its leaders set expectations:
endpts.com/post-hoc-ai-...

Beam Therapeutics CEO John Evans warns against AI hype in drug development, drawing parallels to past CRISPR expectations, responding to DeepMind CEO's disease cure claims.

Big leases, bigger regrets: Biotech slump turns swanky offices from asset into liability

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Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · May 21

NEW: I dove into the precarious state of biotech's real-estate market

Companies like Ginkgo, Prime, and Boundless Bio face some of the largest relative lease burdens, weighing down their balance sheets for years to come.

My latest for @endpts.com

endpts.com/biotech-down...

Biotech companies face financial strain from expensive long-term leases signed during pandemic boom, with Ginkgo Bioworks, Prime Medicine & others struggling with high lease obligations amid market do...

Exclusive: Datavant to acquire real-world data specialist Aetion, doubling life sciences team

Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · May 15

EXCLUSIVE: Datavant has agreed to acquire Aetion in a deal doubling the size of Datavant's life sciences team

The two healthcare data specialists will officially announce the deal later this morning.

Read it at @endpts.com first: endpts.com/exclusive-da...

Datavant acquires Aetion in health data merger. Deal doubles life sciences team to 400. CEO Kyle Armbrester says company has $1B+ revenue. Terms undisclosed. More M&A expected.

Recursion cuts nearly half of its pipeline, including its most advanced program

Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · May 5

NEW: Recursion is abandoning or pausing 5 drug programs, cutting nearly half its pipeline — including what were its most clinically advanced efforts

Recursion's stock is down 10% this morning

Details: endpts.com/ai-biotech-r...

Recursion has cut five drug programs as CEO Chris Gibson focuses on 'winners' in its pipeline.

Iambic debuts next version of AI model Enchant, driving new way for drug R&D

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Andrew Dunn @andrewedunn.bsky.social · May 5

“Anybody can spin up big dreams about what might be possible with AI and then get dinged for hype,” Iambic CEO Tom Miller told me. “We really like to lean into what we’ve actually done.”

More here in my @endpts.com latest: endpts.com/ai-biotech-i...

Iambic Therapeutics enhances AI model Enchant v2 with 10x more training data, improving drug property predictions.