AI is revolutionizing the medical field, with companies like Nvidia leading the charge in uncovering hidden signals in healthcare data. With the recent announcement of two dozen new AI-powered tools specifically geared towards biotechnology and drug discovery, it’s clear that this technology is gaining traction in the industry. And while Nvidia may be at the forefront, they are not alone.
Joining the ranks is a new startup called Century Health, applying AI to clinical data in order to uncover new potential applications for drugs. With partnerships already established with pharmaceutical companies and renowned research institutions like Yale and UC San Diego, the company’s ultimate goal is to identify and commercialize breakthrough treatments for diseases that impact millions, such as Alzheimer’s.
CEO and co-founder, Vish Srivastava, has a personal investment in the company’s mission. Having witnessed his own grandfather’s battle with Alzheimer’s, Srivastava has a deep understanding of the impact these diseases have on patients and their families. His background in healthcare product development and data solidified his belief in the potential of AI to revolutionize access to good patient data.
“It became clear to me that a major hinderance in developing new treatments is the lack of efficient access to high-quality patient data,” Srivastava explains. “But with generative AI, this data that has been sitting stagnant for decades can finally be extracted and utilized.”
This realization led Srivastava to team up with his friend and data scientist, Sanjay Hariharan, and together they created Century Health. Their platform is designed to extract and aggregate hidden data, providing valuable insights for researchers and pharmaceutical companies.
Researchers and companies can subscribe to the platform, utilizing the data to expand on existing drugs, find new applications or uncover insights that can improve access to already approved treatments. Ultimately, Srivastava’s goal is to accelerate the availability of treatments for patients.
“Drug development is an extremely costly and time-consuming process. On average, it takes around $1-2 billion to bring a new drug to market,” Srivastava notes. “But once a drug is approved, the focus shifts to getting it to patients as quickly and affordably as possible. This is where access to real-world data becomes crucial.”
Now backed by a $2 million pre-seed funding round, Century Health is prepared to run three to five pilots over the next few months. The main objectives are to validate the technology that collects and aggregates the data, and to demonstrate the impact of the insights gleaned from these datasets.
Srivastava sees these pilots as design partnerships, allowing for valuable feedback and potential improvements on the platform. In addition to validating the technology, securing early revenue from these pilots will also be a major milestone for Century Health. This revenue can be leveraged to attract further venture capital investment.
The recent pre-seed funding was led by 2048 Ventures, with participation from LifeX, Everywhere, Alumni Ventures, and a group of notable angel investors including Datavant founder, Travis May, and Evidation founder and CEO, Christine Lemke.
Managing partner of 2048 Ventures, Alex Iskold, commented, “At 2048 Ventures, we strongly believe in the power of real-time data, especially in the healthcare industry. Vish and Sanjay’s vision to use AI and real-world patient data to improve the feedback loop and speed up drug development and commercialization aligns perfectly with our thesis.”
In conclusion, the use of AI in the medical field is rapidly expanding and companies like Century Health are at the forefront of this development. With their innovative platform, they aim to accelerate access to vital treatments and pave the way for more efficient and cost-effective drug development and commercialization.
