Tagged News
Biostate AI Secures $12M Series A to Revolutionize RNA Sequencing and Molecular Diagnostics
• Biostate AI has raised $12 million in Series A funding led by Accel to develop affordable RNA sequencing technology and AI-powered diagnostic models.
• The company's proprietary BIRT and PERD technologies reduce RNAseq costs by nearly an order of magnitude, enabling researchers to run 2-3 times more samples within existing budgets.
• Founded by former professors David Zhang and Ashwin Gopinath, Biostate AI aims to build "foundation models" for molecular medicine by analyzing billions of RNA expressions to predict disease evolution and drug responses.
Merck and imec Partner to Develop Advanced Microphysiological Systems Platform for Drug Discovery
• Merck and imec have announced a strategic partnership to develop an advanced Microphysiological Systems (MPS) platform that aims to improve drug discovery efficiency and reduce reliance on animal testing.
• The collaboration integrates organoid biology models with semiconductor hardware, incorporating biosensing and microfluidic capabilities to provide real-time insights from individual organs to multi-organ connected systems.
• The jointly developed modular system will feature standardized interfaces compatible with Merck's portfolio of stem cells and patient-derived organoids, enabling more reliable predictions of human organ responses to drug stimuli.
Persist AI Raises $12M Series A, Launches Cloud Lab to Revolutionize Pharmaceutical Formulation Development
• Persist AI has secured $12 million in Series A funding to expand its AI-driven robotics platform that reduces drug formulation development time from years to months.
• The company's Cloud Lab platform enables pharmaceutical companies to remotely develop formulations using robotic laboratory facilities, testing 700 formulations in two months compared to the industry standard of 10-15 per month.
• Persist AI's technology miniaturizes testing processes, requiring just 1 mL of liquid and a few milligrams of material compared to traditional methods that need 1000 mL and several grams.
Persist AI Secures $12M Series A Funding to Revolutionize Pharmaceutical Formulation Development
• Persist AI has raised $12 million in Series A funding led by Spero Ventures to expand its AI-driven robotic laboratory for pharmaceutical formulation development.
• The company's newly launched Cloud Lab platform enables pharmaceutical companies to remotely develop and test drug formulations, reducing traditional timelines from a year to just two months.
• Persist AI's technology supports various drug modalities including peptides, small molecules, and antibodies, with plans to build a GMP manufacturing system for long-acting injectables in collaboration with Nivagen Pharmaceuticals.
Gustave Roussy Launches UMBRELLA Trial: Using Blood-Based Tumor DNA to Revolutionize Cancer Follow-Up Care
• Gustave Roussy has initiated UMBRELLA, a groundbreaking phase III trial that personalizes post-treatment cancer monitoring based on minimal residual disease (MRD) detected through blood-based circulating tumor DNA analysis.
• The trial will evaluate two strategies: pre-emptive immunotherapy (tislelizumab) for MRD-positive patients and reduced follow-up schedules for MRD-negative patients with non-metastatic lung, colorectal, pancreatic, and soft tissue sarcomas.
• UMBRELLA represents the first French multi-cancer trial using MRD status for therapeutic stratification, aiming to enroll over 700 patients across 10-11 centers in a collaborative effort involving Veracyte, IntegraGen, and BeiGene.
Related Clinical Trials:
Gustave Roussy, Cancer Campus, Grand Paris
Posted 4/16/2025
FDA Approves 18 New Personalized Medicines in 2024, Marking Significant Shift in Treatment Paradigm
• The FDA approved 18 new personalized medicines in 2024, representing 38% of all newly approved therapeutic molecular entities across multiple treatment areas including cancer and Alzheimer's disease.
• Six new gene and cell-based therapies for rare genetic diseases and cancers were authorized, alongside expanded indications for 11 diagnostic testing systems and the first-ever expanded indication for an approved gene therapy.
• Personalized medicines now constitute at least 25% of drug approvals for the past decade, a substantial increase from less than 10% ten years ago, demonstrating the healthcare system's shift away from one-size-fits-all approaches.
€13.6M EU-Funded PREDI-LYNCH Project Aims to Transform Cancer Screening for Lynch Syndrome Patients
• The PREDI-LYNCH project has received €13.6 million in EU funding to develop non-invasive liquid biopsy tests for early cancer detection in Lynch Syndrome carriers, addressing a critical unmet medical need.
• Swedish diagnostics company Elypta joins 27 partners across 16 European countries in this six-year initiative (2025-2031), contributing its proprietary glycosaminoglycan-based biomarker technology.
• With only 5% of Europe's estimated 2 million Lynch Syndrome carriers under cancer surveillance, the project aims to create affordable, accessible screening methods for colorectal, endometrial, and urothelial cancers.
IMVARIA Presents Real-World Data on FDA-Authorized AI Diagnostic Service for Pulmonary Fibrosis at ATS 2025
• IMVARIA's Fibresolve, the first FDA-authorized AI adjunctive diagnostic service for lung fibrosis, demonstrates real-world clinical utility in multi-site experiences presented at ATS 2025 Conference.
• The AI-powered diagnostic service enables pulmonologists to evaluate suspected Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) without workflow disruption or complex system installation.
• IMVARIA is also presenting data on two additional AI solutions: ScreenDx for ILD assessment (FDA-cleared in 2025) and Bronchosolve, an investigational tool for lung nodule evaluation.
Kakao Healthcare Expands AI-Powered Glucose Monitoring App to Japanese Market
• Kakao Healthcare Corp. is launching its AI-powered continuous glucose monitoring app PASTA in Japan through a new subsidiary, marking a significant step in the company's global expansion strategy.
• PASTA integrates with CGM sensors from I-sens Inc.'s Caresens Air and Dexcom Inc.'s G7 system, providing advanced diabetes management capabilities through artificial intelligence technology.
• The expansion follows Kakao's recent initiatives in data-driven healthcare, including plans to develop an "AI-platform bridge" connecting medical institutions, government, and industry for drug discovery and research.
AI in Oncology: Transforming Community Practice from Patient Care to Revenue Cycles
• AI adoption in oncology practices is rapidly growing, with current utilization at 40-50% and projected to reach 70-80% in the next few years, enhancing both clinical decision support and practice operations.
• AI technologies are improving patient care by facilitating education, reducing financial toxicity, streamlining practice connections, and helping clinicians manage the increasing complexity of precision medicine data.
• Community oncology practices need a pragmatic, strategic approach to AI implementation that prioritizes specific practice needs, workflow integration, and patient readiness to maximize benefits while addressing potential disparities.