What works for one person may not work for another. This is especially relevant for mental health issues such as depression and medications. These medications, which can dramatically improve a person’s life, frequently have serious negative effects. An Israeli health-tech startup, Genetika+, is utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to match antidepressants to patients to avoid this and ensure that meds work effectively.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 280 million people worldwide suffer from depression. However, according to estimates, the initial prescriptions for depression or anxiety may not work adequately in two-thirds of them.
The ground-breaking AI-based method generates brain cells from blood samples of patients, which are then evaluated for biomarkers when exposed to various antidepressants. Genetika+ then examines the patient’s medical history and genetic data to find the optimal drug and dose for a doctor to give. According to the BBC, the AI-based system is still in research and will be commercially available in 2024.
The European Union’s European Research Council and European Innovation Council have provided money to the company. It is also collaborating with pharmaceutical companies on the development of precision medications.
“We are in the right time to be able to marry the latest computer technology and biological technology advances,” says neuroscientist Dr. Cohen Solal, who is the co-founder and chief executive of Genetika+. Solal says that AI can help “solve the mystery” of which drugs work.
According to Dr. Heba Sailem, senior lecturer of biomedical AI and data science at King’s College London, AI has enormous potential to alter the worldwide pharmaceutical sector.