Insilico Medicine used two AI systems to create rentosertib. One system identifies disease-relevant proteins by scanning health data and scientific literature, while the second analyzes protein structures to generate matching molecules. This process allowed the company to identify the TNIK protein as a target for both aging and pulmonary fibrosis.
The development of the drug candidate took approximately 18 months. Rentosertib was originally designed for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a condition that causes lung tissue scarring. The drug is currently in a Phase III trial for IPF, which is the final clinical stage before it can be potential approval.
A trial involving 42 patients showed improved lung function. Researchers analyzed blood samples using six different AI aging clocks developed by teams at Harvard, Oxford, Beijing, and Insilico. All six models predicted a lower biological age for treated patients compared to those receiving a placebo.
The most significant effect was a biological age reduction of three to four years by week 4, with one clock showing a decrease of up to six years. Analysis against 55,000 profiles from the UK Biobank confirmed that rentosertib reversed specific protein changes associated with aging.
Insilico Medicine, founded in Hong Kong in 2014, has developed at least 28 drug candidates using generative AI as of March 2026. The company has received investment from pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly to bring AI-developed drugs to market.
