An experimental lung disease drug developed using artificial intelligence showed promise in reversing biological signs of aging, pointing to broader potential use of the treatment, according to its developer.
In a midstage study, Insilico Medicine’s drug rentosertib helped reduce biological age as measured by six different aging clocks examining chemical changes in the body, according to an analysis published in Nature Biotechnology on Monday. Those who were given a placebo saw little change in their biological age on those same clocks, the Hong Kong-listed company said.
“If your biological age is lower, you are likely to die later,” the AI drug discovery startup’s CEO, Alex Zhavoronkov, said in an interview. He cautioned that the results are still early and the long-term health effects of the drug on larger groups of people are unknown. The analysis included 42 patients with a chronic lung disease.