They can't be too new or they wouldn't be anywhere near human trials. Anyway, this is the sort of thing AI (machine learning?) excels at. Not getting excited until we see peer review, but the methodology seems sound (to me, an armchair biologist).

[–] Avicenna@programming.dev 2 points 9 hours ago

Yeah my first question was "how the hell did they get approval for a human trial". Until covid I don't think you would even be able to get approval for mRNA flu vaccine human trials.

[–] dgdft@lemmy.world 5 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

They’re skipping that whole “human trial” thing by going for a compassionate use exemption

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/expanded-access

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 6 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

I'm down for that and think it needs expanded. If I'm terminal, I want the choice to be used as an experiment, assuming the FDA finds the treatment somewhat viable.

Dad had mesothelioma from serving on a WWII destroyer (asbestos wrapped pipes, all those men died by the 80s). He went to some quack in the Bahamas who mixed up snake oil from all his patient's plasma, patients who later tested positive for AIDS. AIDS hit the public conscious right about when dad died. One wonders...

[–] dgdft@lemmy.world 4 points 10 hours ago

Yeah, totally agreed.

It’s a tough balancing act to filter the snake oil while taking viable moonshots, but I think that’s a niche that the US regulatory regime has generally done well on, all things considered.