AI-developed meds go into human trials + China’s one-child policy was so successful, it needs to be reversed
Biotech company begins first human trials on AI-created drugs: Verge, biotech firm backed by Merck, Eli Lilly, and private equity group BlackRock is running one of the first clinical trials in humans of a drug discovered by AI to analyze a vast database of brain tissue, according to a company statement. A patient was dosed with a novel therapy targeting ALS, a neurodegenerative disease with no known cure, Verge founder Alice Zhang told the Financial Times.
How AI discovers potential treatments: AI can process mass amounts of data to quickly identify the therapeutic targets of protein in the body linked to various diseases and which molecules can be turned into medicine. It also helps reduce typically high failure rates, development costs, and the time required for the medication to attain its approvals.
A growing sector worth potential bns: Verge raised USD 98 mn last year from investors to fund its ALS clinical trial and finance its expansions. It also signed an agreement with Eli Lilly to develop ALS treatments earning an additional USD 25 mn and potential milestone and royalty payments worth an extra USD 694 mn if certain targets are met. Pharma and investors see AI being worth USD 50 bn over the next decade, according to forecasts from Morgan Stanley, which forecasts an increase in early-stage drug development and the potential for up to 50 therapies over the next 10 years.
As a result of China’s one-child policy, the country is now facing a dangerous decline in births, Reuters reports. The controversial population control policy was in effect from 1980 to 2015, and now the number of new births is predicted to fall to less than 10 mn this year after seeing an 11.5% dip in 2020. A newlywed said in an online post (that has since been removed) she received a call from her local government asking if she was pregnant, leading many users to add their voices to the chorus, claiming to have received similar pressuring calls regarding pregnancy planning and when they were planning to have children. President Xi Jinping has previously announced that China would implement a policy to increase birth rates and enhance the nation's population growth plan.
Is investing an old man’s game? The ever-increasing cost of living and inflation paired with unfavorable market conditions has made investing a “tough sell” for young people, the Financial Times writes, citing investment service AJ Bell. The platform recently launched its user-friendly investing app Dodl targeting a younger customer base as the company aims to shift its focus from those investing in pensions to those saving up for retirement.
Egypt has jumped on the same bandwagon: Trading app Thndr, which accounted for 80% of all new brokerage accounts opened by those under 21 years old last year, is also working to harness younger investors with an easy-to-use method of investing.