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Insilico Develops The World’s First Fully AI-Generated Drug
The Abu Dhabi-based company hopes to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and has 30 more drugs in the pipeline.
In a busy biotech hub in Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City, Insilico Medicine is pushing the frontiers of science. Under the watchful eye of Latvian-born CEO Dr Alex Zhavoronkov, the company has developed an AI-generated drug to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) — a deadly disease of the lungs.
“This AI drug is a major milestone for us and the industry as a whole,” Dr. Zhavoronkov explains. “We can use AI to create lifesaving treatments for new diseases using approaches we haven’t yet considered and do so much more rapidly and efficiently”.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is characterized by scarring of the lungs and has no known cure. Insilico’s AI drug aims to halt or even reverse the progression of IPF and is currently undergoing Phase 2 clinical trials in the US and China. The success of these trials will pave the way for more in-depth testing, bringing the drug closer to mass market approval.
Insilico’s groundbreaking research was recently published in Nature Biotechnology. It highlights how the company’s AI platform, Pharma.AI, is connecting the dots between fibrosis and aging to drive forward the discovery of a cure.
IPF treatment is just the beginning for Insilico. The company already has a roadmap consisting of over thirty AI-designed drugs, with seven already in clinical patient trials. These include treatments for inflammatory bowel disease, immuno-oncology targets, and even drugs developed using a method that targets a protein in cancers that can kill them without harming healthy cells.
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Dr Zhavoronkov’s ultimate goal is to leverage AI to unravel the complex processes involved in aging. “Our number one priority is to teach AI to understand the basic biology of aging, and I think we’ve succeeded in that process. Now, we need to demonstrate that we can utilize this understanding to cure diseases,” he says.
Insilico Medicine’s AI-driven drugs showcase the massive untapped potential of artificial intelligence in all aspects of healthcare. As the company continues to innovate, its work brings hope to patients around the world and demonstrates that the future of medicine is promising, thanks to the application of the latest technological breakthroughs.
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AltoVolo Opens Orders For Limited Edition Sigma eVTOLs
Early buyers can now reserve build slots for AltoVolo’s 500-mile hybrid aircraft through a new online configurator.
AltoVolo has started taking pre-orders for its first electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, the Sigma, moving the startup closer to commercial rollout. Customers can now secure a build slot with a £860 deposit and customize every detail online — from paintwork to seatbelt stitching. It’s the first configurator of its kind for a civilian eVTOL, mirroring how luxury car brands let clients tailor performance models before production.
The Sigma runs on a hybrid-electric tilting jet system built for long range and low noise. It can travel up to 500 miles at a 220-mph cruise, and is over 80% quieter than a helicopter. The three-seater weighs just 980kg and can maintain stable flight even if one jet fails. Safety systems include triple-redundant controls, thrust-vectoring stability and a ballistic parachute.
“We will be delivering an ultra-refined hybrid electric aircraft,” said founder and CEO Will Wood. “We believe there are thousands of customers for this type of cutting-edge technology”.
The first 100 units will come with exclusive materials and finishes. AltoVolo is also setting up a global service and maintenance network, with early planning for overhaul schedules already underway. The company’s focus on ownership experience echoes its ambition to anchor itself alongside established aviation brands rather than pure tech ventures.
To help new owners train, the company has built a full-scale simulator that replicates the Sigma cockpit in carbon fiber and leather. Pilots can log time toward a license using the system, aligned with the new US MOSAIC rules that ease certification for powered-lift aircraft. Certification work in Europe and the UK continues in parallel, signaling growing international alignment around light sport and eVTOL regulation.
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Noise inside the cabin has become another design focus. Engineers are refining internal vibration levels and developing a responsive soundscape that shifts with each jet’s power load — part feedback, part theatre.
Urban air mobility projects across the Gulf and elsewhere are pushing regulators and manufacturers to meet in the middle. Dubai, Riyadh and Doha have each outlined plans for air taxi corridors this decade. AltoVolo’s hybrid Sigma, sitting between electric promise and aviation realism, looks built for that middle ground.
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