Merck Bets $800M on AI to Slash Cholesterol — and Heart Attack Risk
New AI tools can spot hidden heart disease years before a heart attack, while drug giant Merck pours $800 million into artificial intelligence to develop a better cholesterol pill.
Doctors have long called high cholesterol a "silent killer" because it has no symptoms and is often only discovered after a heart attack or stroke [199382]. Now, researchers are using artificial intelligence to detect artery hardening earlier than ever. By analyzing heart artery images with greater precision, AI can reveal more details about the amount and type of plaque building up inside blood vessels, helping doctors better assess a patient’s risk of future heart attacks [202011].
At the same time, pharmaceutical company Merck is pushing forward with a new experimental cholesterol pill that targets a new pathway to lower "bad" LDL cholesterol, aiming to offer an alternative to statins [202286]. To speed up this work, an AI-focused venture capital firm has raised $800 million—one of the largest funds ever for AI-driven biotech—to back companies using artificial intelligence to accelerate drug discovery and clinical trials [202286].
The moves come as U.S. lawmakers consider rules that could limit American companies from working with Chinese biotech firms, citing national security concerns. Many drugmakers are lobbying to keep those restrictions narrow, arguing that cutting ties would slow innovation and raise drug costs [202286].
For now, the industry is betting that combining AI with new pill pipelines can deliver results. The only way to know your cholesterol level remains a simple blood test, and doctors stress the importance of regular screening, especially for adults over 20 [199382].