In a groundbreaking move to transform the future of medical research, San Francisco-based AI company, Unlearn, has recently announced securing $50 million in Series C funding. This significant financial boost is aimed at advancing their pioneering technology of creating digital twins for clinical trial participants. This novel approach is expected to make clinical trials faster, smaller, and more efficient, potentially revolutionizing how new treatments are brought to patients.
Established in 2017, Unlearn has dedicated itself to enhancing clinical research through artificial intelligence. With a total of over $130 million raised in seven years, the company's technology seeks to address some of the most pressing issues faced by clinical trials today. These include lengthy timelines, slow participant enrollment, and the hesitation of individuals to participate due to the fear of receiving a placebo instead of actual treatment.
Unlearn's AI models are uniquely designed to generate a digital twin for each trial participant. These digital twins can forecast health outcomes under placebo conditions, irrespective of the participant's real group assignment. This approach, known as TwinRCTs™, allows for more experimental treatments to be administered to actual patients by reducing the size of control groups needed. The ultimate goal is to accelerate the process of introducing new drugs and therapies to the market, leading to better health outcomes for the global population.
Charles Fisher, Ph.D., the founder and CEO of Unlearn, highlighted the skepticism within the pharmaceutical industry towards new technologies, despite the annual expenditure of over $100 billion on clinical research. Fisher emphasized that breaking down these barriers and demonstrating the value of digital twin technology is a primary goal for Unlearn, especially with the new round of funding which will enable the company to expand its team and delve into more therapeutic areas.
Unlearn's efforts have been met with enthusiasm from its investors, including Altimeter Capital, which led the Series C round, and other returning investors such as Radical Ventures and Mubadala Capital. These financial backers support Unlearn's vision to reduce the number of participants needed for research, decrease costs, and enhance outcomes for the pharmaceutical industry.
Moreover, Unlearn's methodologies have gained recognition and qualification from regulatory authorities like the European Medicines Agency and compliance acknowledgment from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This regulatory approval underscores the potential of Unlearn's AI models to streamline and optimize clinical trials, paving the way for quicker, more accurate assessments of new treatments' safety and efficacy.
Unlearn is collaborating with pharmaceutical sponsors, biotech companies, and academic institutions to refine the clinical trial process. The company's innovative digital twin technology stands as a beacon of hope for accelerating the delivery of life-changing treatments to patients worldwide. For more details on Unlearn's transformative approach to clinical research, visit their website at www.unlearn.ai.