Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) therapeutic candidates
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Lunai Bioworks (NASDAQ: LNAI) Expands NIH-Funded AI Program into Commercial Alcohol Use Disorder Drug Discovery
Prnewswire· 2026-01-26 14:30
Core Insights - Lunai Bioworks has achieved a significant commercial milestone in its NIH STTR-supported initiative, generating high-resolution behavioral signatures related to ethanol exposure and alcohol withdrawal, which highlights previously underexplored biological mechanisms with strong translational potential [1][3] - The company has launched a new drug discovery program targeting Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), which affects approximately 30 million individuals in the U.S., with over 95% of these individuals receiving no effective pharmacologic treatment [1][3] Company Overview - Lunai Bioworks is an AI-powered drug discovery and biodefense company focused on pioneering safe and responsible generative biology, utilizing proprietary neurotoxicity datasets and advanced machine learning [4] - The company aims to build high-value, partner-ready programs that leverage its platform to address large, underpenetrated CNS markets, particularly in the context of AUD [3][4] Market Opportunity - Alcohol Use Disorder represents one of the largest and most underserved markets in neuropsychiatry, with excessive alcohol use costing the U.S. economy approximately $250 billion annually and contributing to over 200 disease states [3] - Fewer than 5% of individuals with AUD are treated by healthcare professionals, indicating significant therapeutic limitations and biological heterogeneity within the disorder [3][4] Research and Development Strategy - The AUD program is designed to advance differentiated, mechanism-informed therapeutic candidates toward clinical translation, with scalable screening infrastructure now operational to facilitate rapid progress [2] - High-resolution behavioral phenotyping is expected to reveal mechanistic signals that conventional approaches miss, providing a rational foundation for precision therapeutic development [4]