Facebook claims AI can predict drug combinations to treat complex diseases
Facebook today detailed what it claims is the first single AI model capable of predicting the effects of drug combinations, dosages, timing, and other types of interventions like gene deletion. Developed in collaboration with Helmholtz Zentrum München, Facebook says the model could accelerate the process of identifying combinations of medications and other treatments that might lead to better outcomes for diseases.
Discovering ways to repurpose existing drugs has proven to be a powerful tool to treat diseases including cancer. In recent years, doctors have seen success with “drug cocktails” to combat malignant conditions and continue to explore personalized treatments for patients. But finding an effective combination of existing drugs at the right dose is extremely challenging, in part because there are nearly infinite possibilities. Researchers would have to try from 5,000 to 19 billion solutions to find the optimal regimen given a pool of 100 drugs.
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