Temasek's Biotech Arm Bets Big on AI to Find New Drugs

A major investment firm is using artificial intelligence to hunt for new medicines. Temasek, a Singapore state-owned company, has tasked its biotechnology venture capital arm with this goal. The unit, called Vertex Ventures HC, will use AI to search for breakthrough treatments. It focuses on diseases that currently have no cure. The team believes AI can dramatically speed up the costly and slow drug discovery process. "AI is a powerful tool to solve biological problems," said a Vertex managing director. The technology can analyze complex biological data much faster than humans. This could help identify new drug targets and design effective molecules. The push into AI-driven drug discovery is part of a larger industry trend. Many pharmaceutical companies now partner with tech firms to use machine learning. The goal is to develop life-saving treatments more efficiently and bring them to patients sooner.