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Google-Backed Isomorphic Labs Delays Clinical Trial Timeline

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Isomorphic Labs, an artificial intelligence-driven drug discovery company backed by Google, now expects to begin its first clinical trials by the end of 2026, marking a delay from its earlier plans, founder and CEO Demis Hassabis said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Hassabis said the revised timeline reflects the complexity of translating AI-designed drug candidates into human trials. Last year, he had indicated that Isomorphic aimed to have its first AI-developed medicines enter clinical testing by the end of 2025.

Founded in 2021, Isomorphic Labs was spun out of Google DeepMind, which Hassabis also leads. The company applies AI to accelerate drug discovery by improving how potential medicines are designed and evaluated.

Interest in AI-powered drug development has surged as pharmaceutical companies look to shorten research timelines and reduce costs. One of DeepMind’s most prominent achievements, AlphaFold, demonstrated AI’s potential by accurately predicting protein structures, a key challenge in biology.

Isomorphic raised $600 million in its first external funding round last year, led by Thrive Capital, underscoring strong investor confidence despite the longer path to clinical trials.

Ramaswamy-backed Strive to acquire Semler in $1.3B all-stock deal, boosting Bitcoin treasury

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Strive, the bitcoin-treasury company co-founded by former U.S. presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, announced it will acquire Semler Scientific in an all-stock transaction valued at $1.34 billion. The deal gives Strive a bigger foothold in both healthcare and cryptocurrency, while sharply expanding its bitcoin holdings.

Semler shareholders will receive 21.04 Strive Class A shares for each Semler share, valuing Semler at $90.52—a more than 210% premium over its prior close. Following the announcement, Semler’s stock jumped 8.3% in early trading, while Strive shares slipped 8%.

The combined company will own over 10,900 bitcoin after Strive’s planned purchase of 5,816 additional coins worth about $675 million. Strive said it will use a “preferred equity only” funding model for future bitcoin acquisitions, signaling a commitment to building one of the largest corporate crypto treasuries.

Semler, based in healthcare technology, develops diagnostic tools including a point-of-care test that measures arterial blood flow in extremities. Its mix of medical business and bitcoin reserves makes it a unique acquisition target.

The deal follows Strive’s merger with Asset Entities earlier this year as part of its Nasdaq listing strategy. It mirrors the bitcoin-first treasury approach pioneered by Michael Saylor’s MicroStrategy, which began buying bitcoin with cash reserves in 2020.

Bitcoin has surged 20.5% in 2025, outpacing the S&P 500’s 13.3% gain, amid easing regulatory concerns and growing institutional adoption. Ramaswamy, a vocal crypto advocate, founded Strive in 2022 after launching drugmaker Roivant Sciences in 2014. He stepped away from Roivant’s board in 2023 to focus on politics.

Cantor Fitzgerald advised Strive on the deal, while LionTree Advisors represented Semler.

UnitedHealth Tech Unit Hack Affected 192.7 Million People

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A cyberattack on UnitedHealth Group’s (UNH.N) technology unit, Change Healthcare, last year affected 192.7 million people, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The company had previously estimated the breach impacted 190 million individuals.

Disclosed in February 2024, the attack—identified as the largest healthcare data breach in U.S. history—was carried out by hackers claiming to be part of the “Blackcat” ransomware group. The breach caused widespread disruptions in claims processing and affected patients and healthcare providers nationwide.

A UnitedHealth spokesperson confirmed, “The final total number of individuals impacted by the Change Healthcare cyberattack is approximately 192.7 million,” noting that state-by-state figures may vary.

Compromised data is believed to include health insurance member IDs, patient diagnoses, treatment records, social security numbers, and provider billing codes. The breach is now listed in HHS’s official database of healthcare data breaches maintained by its Office for Civil Rights.