#USA #Sacramento #AI Drug Discovery #AUD #Lunai Bioworks

Lunai Bioworks Launches Innovative Program for Alcohol Use Disorder

Lunai Bioworks, publicly traded under NASDAQ: LNAI, has officially launched a cutting-edge drug discovery program focused on Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). This initiative comes as a significant milestone within the company’s NIH-supported initiative, which utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance drug discovery processes. The technology aims to identify new therapeutic pathways for AUD, a pervasive health issue affecting around 30 million Americans, of whom over 95% currently lack access to effective pharmaceutical interventions.

The launch was announced on January 26, 2026, revealing that Lunai Bioworks has successfully created high-resolution, multidimensional behavioral signatures representative of both ethanol exposure and withdrawal. Employing high-throughput vertebrate screening, the researchers were able to uncover distinct and reproducible neurobehavioral phenotypes. These findings underscore the biological mechanisms that existing therapies only partially address, pointing to a promising area for developing new drugs.

David Weinstein, CEO of Lunai Bioworks, emphasized the importance of addressing the unmet needs in AUD treatment. He stated, “These results underscore both the magnitude of unmet need in Alcohol Use Disorder and the commercial opportunity for biologically grounded, precision therapies.” The newly launched program focuses on harnessing these findings to advance differentiated therapeutic candidates into clinical testing.

Lunai Bioworks' initiative is particularly noteworthy because it is supported by a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant from the National Institutes of Health. Furthermore, the program collaborates with notable experts in the field, including Dr. Calum MacRae from Harvard Medical School, enhancing the program's scientific foundation and credibility.

According to Dr. MacRae, “Alcohol Use Disorder is not a single disease but a spectrum of biologically distinct states.” He highlighted that the innovative approach taken by Lunai Bioworks, which leverages high-resolution behavioral phenotyping, can reveal mechanistic insights that are often overlooked by traditional methodologies used in drug development.

The economic impact of AUD is staggering, costing the U.S. approximately $250 billion annually due to related health issues and lost productivity. Yet, despite its prevalence, fewer than 5% of individuals diagnosed with AUD are treated by professionals—indicating a significant gap in effective treatment options and underscoring the potential impact of Lunai's new program.

With their scalable screening infrastructure now operational, Lunai Bioworks is positioned to rapidly progress toward nominating candidate treatments and conducting further developmental studies. The company is strategically focusing on forming partnerships and securing non-dilutive funding opportunities, confident in the ability to create viable therapeutic options for AUD while addressing a critical market need.

In conclusion, Lunai Bioworks is set to redefine the landscape of Alcohol Use Disorder treatment by combining the power of AI with innovative drug discovery methods. As the company moves forward, the implications for individuals struggling with AUD, the healthcare system, and the economy could be profound, marking a significant advancement in neuropsychiatry and therapeutic development.

For further updates, visit lunaibioworks.com.