Unlearn, an AI-enabled company specializing in creating digital twins of clinical trial participants, has announced a new partnership with biotechnology company Trace Neuroscience to advance research in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Founded in 2017, Unlearn utilizes machine learning to generate digital twins of clinical trial participants before they are randomized in controlled trials. These digital twins provide researchers with valuable insights into participants' potential health outcomes, allowing for smaller, faster clinical trials by reducing the number of participants needed for control groups.

A key component of the partnership involves Unlearn's Digital Twin Generator (DTG) for ALS, which is a sophisticated machine learning model trained on more than 13,000 longitudinal clinical records. These records come from multiple sources, including the ALS-focused digital research platform APST, the PRO-ACT database for ALS research, and the Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS).

Trace Neuroscience will implement Unlearn's DTG ALS and Unlearn Platform in their upcoming Phase 1/2 clinical trial targeting the UNC13A protein, which has been directly linked to ALS progression. The technology will be used to:

• Simulate ALS disease progression

• Evaluate relationships between clinical endpoints, baseline disease status, and biomarkers over time

• Inform clinical trial protocol decisions

"This collaboration brings together two powerful approaches—AI and genomic medicine—to rethink how ALS trials are designed," Dr. Eric Green, cofounder and CEO of Trace Neuroscience, said in a statement. "Working with Unlearn to mine their extensive, well-curated database through the use of the ALS DTG will enable us to explore smarter designs and make confident and informed decisions as we plan our Phase 1/2 trial. Ultimately, these insights can help us to move faster for people living with ALS who are waiting for new treatment options."

The partnership marks another significant development for Unlearn, which secured $50 million in Series C funding last year, bringing its total funding to over $130 million. Previously, the company raised $50 million in Series B financing in 2022, following $15 million in Series A funding two years prior.

Unlearn has been actively expanding its collaborations within the ALS research field. In December, the company partnered with German-based APST Research to integrate data from over 8,000 participants in an APST longitudinal study into its DTG ALS. Last year, Unlearn also formed partnerships with ProJenX and QurAlis Corporation to accelerate their respective ALS clinical programs.

Other companies utilizing digital twin technology include Singaporean startup Mesh Bio, which focuses on managing chronic diseases in Southeast Asia, and Twin Health, which offers an AI-backed Whole Body Digital Twin model to provide personalized guidance for preventing and reversing metabolic diseases like Type 2 diabetes.

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