Going to Extremes to Discover New Drugs

Hibernation is not just a matter of deep sleep. Animals that hibernate are able to do so without suffering damage to tissue and muscle. Understanding the biology of hibernation can unlock potential insights into obesity, heart attack and stroke, muscle atrophy, neuroprotection, and longevity. Fauna Bio is studying genomic data from so-called "extreme mammals" and applying its proprietary AI platform to perform comparative genetic analysis to find gene-disease links and leverage millions of years of evolutionary adaptations to identify new therapeutic opportunities for human health. We spoke to Ashley Zehnder, founder and CEO of Fauna Bio, about the types of insights that can be gleaned from the genetics of hibernating animals, the wide range of human health conditions that might be addressed with such an approach, and the company’s deal with Eli Lilly to apply its AI platform to discover new obesity drugs.