Two biotechs say they’re using AI to conjure drugs from scratch. Their documents suggest otherwise Experts are skeptical of the grand claims of startups like Absci and Generate Biomedicines

https://www.statnews.com/2025/02/10/ai-drug-development-claims-by-biotech-companies-absci-generate-biomedicines-questioned/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9KRsm63INUMxkCW62f5dnrvc9G1prrxxtdyf_9oIzbWCrmPJuAB3JJn4Rbm6JowNN_isnfCJWNT9EVRpcJ3bkqbQ05pQ&_hsmi=346446342&utm_content=346446342&utm_source=hs_email For years, a small group of protein engineers and drug developers have dreamed of being able to fashion new antibody drugs from scratch on a computer. Recently, a cohort of protein AI startups have hinted that they may be on the verge of such a breakthrough. A couple, most notably Absci and Generate Biomedicines, have said that they have this capability today, a premise that has helped them raise hundreds of millions of dollars and strike lucrative partnerships. But others in the industry have pushed back, and a STAT examination of company documents and expert interviews reveals that AI-powered biotechs like Absci and competitor Generate routinely aggrandize their AI abilities. Read more in the investigation by STAT’s Brittany Trang.