Lantern Pharma Unveils AI to Tackle The Blood-Brain Barrier

Lantern Pharma, a Dallas-based biotech known for its AI platform RADR®, has released predictBBB.ai, a new open-access tool that predicts whether small molecules can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In validation studies it achieved 94% accuracy, with 95% sensitivity and 89% specificity.

Only an estimated 2 to 6 percent of compounds ever cross into the brain at therapeutic levels. This limitation has derailed countless programs and is a major reason CNS drug discovery is slower, costlier, and riskier than almost any other therapeutic area.

Lantern Pharma, via lanternpharma.com

However, if researchers can de-prioritize compounds unlikely to reach the brain early in the process, entire programs can be redirected before millions are sunk into preclinical and clinical trials. This matters in a field where Phase II attrition is particularly high, and where the economic burden of failure can set back whole therapeutic areas.

Lantern has chosen to make the tool freely available through a freemium model. For years, discussions around AI in pharma have been marked by secrecy and proprietary advantage. By putting this tool in the hands of academics, startups, and even competitors, Lantern is signaling that progress in CNS will require more openness, not less.

The blood-brain barrier technology market is projected to grow from 1.4 billion dollars in 2023 to nearly 10 billion by 2032, while AI-driven drug discovery is expected to surpass 20 billion by 2030. Lantern is positioning itself at the intersection of these trends, but with an approach that may draw collaborators rather than just customers.

Beyond the AI release, Lantern’s second-quarter results reveal dramatic clinical momentum. A lymphoma patient treated with their synthetic lethal candidate LP-284 experienced a complete metabolic response, while an NSCLC patient treated with LP-300 saw a complete tumor response.

Lantern’s AI platform itself is also expanding. RADR® now includes a drug combination prediction module designed to develop synergistic oncology therapies, starting with DNA-damaging agents and DNA repair inhibitors. The platform processes over 200 billion oncology data points and leverages more than 200 algorithms, up from 100 billion earlier in the year.

On the financial side, Lantern ended Q2 with 15.9 million dollars in the bank, enough to fund operations into mid-2026. And behind predictBBB.ai lies strong intellectual property, covered under a PCT patent application with a favorable search report.

Despite decades of setbacks in CNS, Lantern's platform represents a concrete step forward by removing one layer of uncertainty that has slowed the field for too long.