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Forbes
a day ago
- Science
- Forbes
The Prototype: This AI Model Could Make It Faster To Find New Medicines
In this week's edition of The Prototype, we look at a new AI model that could speed up drug discovery, how the Trump/Musk blowup could impact NASA, a new class of electronics and more. You can sign up to get The Prototype in your inbox here. getty The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded in part to Deepmind's Demis Hassabis and John Jumper for the development of AlphaFold–an AI model that predicts the structure of proteins, the complex chemicals essential to making our bodies work. Since its inception, this model and others like it have been put to use in laboratories around the world, enabling new biological discoveries. Now a team from MIT and pharmaceutical company Recursion, with support from Cancer Grand Challenges, have developed a tool that takes these principles further–and may help researchers find new medicines more quickly. Called Boltz-2, this open-source generative AI model can not only predict the structure of proteins, it can also predict its binding affinity–that is, how well a potential drug is able to interact with that protein. This is crucial in the early stages of developing a new medicine. Until now, scientists could only find binding affinity in one of two ways: they could actually conduct an experiment to determine it, or they could use a complicated computer simulation process called FEP. In a paper published today, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, the team demonstrated that it could produce similar results to an FEP–but significantly faster. 'Boltz-2, in just 20 seconds, can match the performance of FEP, which usually takes from 6-12 hours,' said researcher Gabriele Corso. 'Pretty much changing the game.' Getty Images SpaceX has been caught in the crossfire of the ongoing feud between Donald Trump and company founder Elon Musk. The two men have been sharing barbs over the President's proposed budget bill, with Musk criticizing it for including too much spending and increasing the deficit. On Thursday afternoon, the President posted on Truth Social that '[t]he easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts.' If Trump were to follow through on cancelling contracts, the biggest price may well be paid by NASA. Although the space agency played a crucial role in getting the company off the ground, SpaceX doesn't need it anymore. According to Musk, the company is currently bringing in around $15.5 billion a year in revenue. Forbes estimates that about 80% of this comes from its internet business, Starlink. And while SpaceX still gets plenty of government business, it also launches dozens of commercial spacecraft every year. The reverse, however, isn't true. NASA relies heavily on SpaceX for its operations–the company's rockets launched more than half of the agency's space missions last year. And while NASA has other partners in aerospace, such as Boeing, many are years behind SpaceX in terms of development. Read the whole story here. A team of researchers at Virginia Tech invented a new kind of circuit board that is both more durable and easier to recycle than conventional electronics. It's composed of a soft plastic that's embedded with a liquid, conductive metal to carry electricity. The resulting electronics work even if they're bent out of shape and can even self-repair some damage. For recycling, they can be chemically deconstructed with a simple process that makes it easy to re-form into a new product. Japanese space startup Ispace's second attempt to land a spacecraft on the Moon failed this week. According to the company, the laser rangefinder that its spacecraft used to measure the distance to the surface experienced communications difficulties. Because it didn't know its altitude, it didn't slow down enough for a safe landing, causing it to crash. In my other newsletter, InnovationRx, Amy Feldman and I looked at the impact of Trump's proposed budget cuts on biomedical research and global health, news from the ASCO cancer meeting and a biotech company making drug products through fermentation. Solar panels provide an unexpected environmental benefit–when they're placed in drought-prone grasslands, they boost soil moisture levels and increase plant growth by 20% compared to open fields, because of both the shade they provide and water that collects on them. A new compound, called infuzide, showed antibacterial activity against strains that are resistant to antibiotics, which may provide a new weapon for doctors against infectious diseases. Amazon is reportedly testing humanoid robots to see if they can be used to deliver packages. The retail giant has already been putting similar technology to work in its warehouses. Researchers found that diatoms, a kind of algae with silica in its cell walls, could be introduced to the Moon's soil to make it capable of growing crops. If you're in midlife and wondering if you should abandon your morning coffee, think twice–at least, if you're a woman. That's because a new analysis, which followed nearly 50,000 women for over 30 years, found that those who drank coffee (the good stuff, with caffeine) were more likely to age in a healthy way, maintaining both their physical and cognitive health across a wide variety of parameters, than those who drank tea or decaf. As a middle-aged dad, two things I greatly enjoy are hard rock music and military history. Swedish metal band Sabaton scratches both of those itches at the same time by singing heavy ballads about historic battles and the people who fought them. Some of my favorite tracks of theirs include 'Night Witches' (about an all-female Soviet bomber regiment in World War II), 'The Last Stand' (about the Swiss Guards who defended Rome in battle in 1527), "Blood of Bannockburn" (about a major victory in the War of Scottish Independence) and 'To Hell And Back' (about American World War II hero Audie Murphy). They're like Schoolhouse Rock but with much better guitar solos.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Recursion Pharmaceuticals Stock Plummeted 24% This Week
The results of a recent survey released Tuesday showed President Trump's actions are likely to make it harder for biotech companies like Recursion to raise capital. The company reported less-than-stellar earnings yesterday and announced it was ending the development of a significant portion of its pipeline. 10 stocks we like better than Recursion Pharmaceuticals › Shares of Recursion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: RXRX) fell this week. The stock lost 24% as of market close on Friday. The move comes as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both slipped slightly. Recursion revealed disappointing first-quarter earnings on Monday and announced it would pare down its development pipeline. Recursion was also hit by a survey revealing that the biotech industry expects President Donald Trump's federal research cuts will make raising capital more challenging. Recursion reported an earnings-per-share (EPS) loss of $0.50 on sales of $14.75 million. While the former ever so slightly beat Wall Street's expectations, the top-line figure was below the forecast of $14.98 million. The company also announced it was ending research on a significant portion of its pipeline in order to cut costs. The Trump administration has taken aim at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which provides research dollars for biomedical research, as well as major research universities and other science organizations. A survey released Tuesday revealed that a majority of biotech leaders polled believed these cuts would make raising capital harder. Recursion is still heavily investing in research and development and operates deep in the red. It will likely need outside funding to continue long-term and reach a point where its investments pay off. While Recursion's novel use of AI is promising and could lead to lucrative breakthroughs, there is a lot of uncertainty here. This is definitely a stock for aggressive, risk-tolerant investors. If that's you, Recursion could pay off, but it will take time, and there are no guarantees. Before you buy stock in Recursion Pharmaceuticals, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Recursion Pharmaceuticals wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $617,181!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $719,371!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 909% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 163% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 5, 2025 Johnny Rice has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Recursion Pharmaceuticals Stock Plummeted 24% This Week was originally published by The Motley Fool
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Recursion Pharmaceuticals Stock Was Getting Mashed on Monday
Key Points The company published its latest quarterly earnings report this morning. It continues to draw limited revenue, while its costs are growing notably. Recursion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: RXRX) didn't have a fine start to the working week on Monday, at least as far as its stock was concerned. Investors traded out of it following the clinical-stage biotech's first-quarter earnings release and business update, and the share price was down by 15% in mid-session trading. The S&P 500 index was doing comparatively better, with a 0.3% decline. Image source: Getty Images. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » Light revenue and a deepening net loss For the quarter, Recursion -- which although a clinical-stage company earns some coin from collaboration agreements with large pharmaceutical companies -- booked just over $14.7 million in revenue. That topped the nearly $13.8 million in the same period of 2024. Operating costs nearly doubled across that stretch of time, however, resulting in a much deeper net loss. Recursion's bottom-line shortfall worsened to more than $202 million ($0.50 per share) against the year-ago quarter's $91 million deficit. Both headline numbers missed analyst estimates, if not by much. On average, pundits tracking Recursion stock anticipated slightly under $15 million for revenue, and a $0.49-per-share net loss. Aiming for the stars with AI The company is notable for being a biotech that has actively and enthusiastically embraced artificial intelligence (AI) technology to discover and develop new drugs. It is currently developing treatments mainly for different types of cancer, but also has a pair of rare disease programs. Yet none of these have yet advanced to later stages, and investors might be hungry for more progress at this point. That being said, AI in medicine is still quite a new factor, and if utilized effectively could speed up both the discovery and development processes significantly. At this point Recursion is a stock for investors willing to accept a significant degree of risk; however, the payoffs could eventually be considerable. Should you invest $1,000 in Recursion Pharmaceuticals right now? Before you buy stock in Recursion Pharmaceuticals, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Recursion Pharmaceuticals wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AI specialist Recursion trims pipeline in latest shakeup
This story was originally published on BioPharma Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily BioPharma Dive newsletter. AI drug discovery specialist Recursion Pharmaceuticals is shelving three of its most advanced drug prospects in an effort to cut costs following a merger last year. Alongside its latest quarterly earnings report, the company revealed plans to halt development of drugs for cerebral cavernous malformation and neurofibromatosis type II that were in mid-stage testing. Recursion will also pause testing and attempt to license out a therapy it's been advancing for C. difficile infections. The decisions reflect Recursion's plan to focus on 'areas of high unmet need where we believe we can have the greatest impact,' said Najat Khan, the company's chief R&D officer and chief commercial officer, in a statement. Following a merger with fellow AI biotech Exscientia last year, the company has been 'proactively streamlining' its operations and 'making deliberate tradeoffs' to focus resources on its most impactful programs, Khan added. Four years ago, Recursion raised $436 million in one of the biotech sector's most lucrative initial public offerings. The company secured those funds on the promise of AI, which is seen by proponents as a way to speed up drug discovery and increase its odds of success. And in combining with Exscientia in 2024, Recursion touted a sprawling pipeline that would produce 10 near-term clinical readouts and had the potential to deliver multiple blockbusters. The company hasn't yet fulfilled its promise, though. Early clinical data for its treatment for cerebral cavernous malformation disappointed investors and, according to the company's statement Monday, the 'totality' of the results accrued since then led it to stop testing. The neurofibromatosis type II therapy is being scrapped for similar reasons, while a changing treatment landscape has reduced the need for the C. difficile drug it's been developing. To Mani Foroohar, an analyst with Leerink Partners, the pipeline cuts were 'inevitable' given the company's 'unsustainable cash burn.' The company booked a roughly $464 million net loss in 2024, following a $328 million net loss the year prior. It had $509 million in cash as of the end of March. Foroohar added in a research note Monday that Phase 2 data the company released Sunday in a condition that causes the growth of potentially dangerous polyps were 'hard to interpret.' The findings do 'little to improve confidence in clinical execution, as cash burn and dilution risk are top of mind,' he wrote.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Recursion axes drug programmes to streamline pipeline
AI business Recursion Pharmaceuticals has narrowed its drug development pipeline, ending or pausing five programmes as it seeks to reduce costs and reprioritise resources following a merger with fellow AI biotech Exscientia last year. The company's Q1 2025 earnings report revealed plans to cut three clinical programmes, pause one clinical candidate and cut a preclinical effort. Shares in Recursion fell by 13.4% on 5 May, dropping from $5.49 at market open to $4.76 at close following the pipeline restructuring announcement. The terminated programmes include REC-2282, REC-994, and REC-3964. REC-2282 and REC-994 were in development for rare neurological disorders – neurofibromatosis type 2 and cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM), respectively. According to Recursion, accumulated data from both trials did not justify continued investment. The company formally stated that the 'totality' of the results supported ending development altogether. REC-994 had reached Phase II testing in CCM. Data from the 62-patient trial (NCT05085561) was announced in September 2024, with a follow-up in February 2025. The trial showed comparable safety and tolerability to placebo over 12 months and met its primary endpoint, but did not demonstrate meaningful clinical benefits. MRI scans suggested a trend toward reduced lesion volume at the higher dose of 400mg, but no improvements were observed in patient-reported outcomes or functional assessments. Follow-up data, including a long-term extension phase, failed to confirm earlier signals of efficacy. Recursion is not fully discontinuing its REC-3964 programme – aimed at treating C difficile infection – but is instead exploring potential out-licensing opportunities. The company cited a shift in the treatment landscape and internal reprioritisation as reasons for reconsidering further development. In addition to these terminations, Recursion is pausing development of REC-4539, a clinical-stage oncology candidate. A preclinical programme in an undisclosed indication is also being discontinued. These changes leave Recursion with six active development programmes. Four of which are in oncology while two target rare diseases. None are currently in late-stage trials. 'The data is going to be ultimately what drives what the balance of the portfolio looks like, but I do not see us abandoning either oncology or rare disease in the near term,' said Recursion CEO Chris Gibson in a 5 May earnings call to investors. The pipeline restructuring follows a period of strategic realignment after Recursion's merger with Exscientia. Najat Khan, who serves as both chief R&D officer and chief commercial officer, said the company is making 'deliberate tradeoffs' to focus on areas of high unmet need and the greatest potential impact.
