A drug startup wants to simulate more. Tests still matter.
WIRED reports that Potential Sciences wants to use physics-based simulations to create more chemical data for drug discovery. Outside researchers say it is hard to predict how a drug will attach to its target. Animal and human testing still costs time and money. A startup plan is not a tested treatment.
What the source reports
Joel Khalili reports on Potential Sciences, a startup that plans to use computer models based on physics to make more chemical data. The goal is to help find possible drugs. Independent researchers in the WIRED article say it is still hard to predict how a molecule will bind to its target. They also point to the cost of animal studies and human trials. The company has a proposed path for finding candidates, not proof of an effective drug. Simulating an early step does not remove the need to test a treatment in the real world.
Original source
- Title
- Finding New Drugs Is Laborious. This AI Startup Is Skipping The Lab Work
- Author
- Joel Khalili
- Publication
- WIRED
- Date
- Thursday, November 5, 2026