Anthropic appoints former Genentech scientist Nathan Frey to lead drug discovery after acquiring Coefficient Bio

Anthropic, the AI company, recently bought biotech startup Coefficient Bio. Following the acquisition, the startup’s founder Nathan Frey, who previously worked at Genentech on machine‑learning projects, has taken charge of the firm’s drug discovery and development research.

In an interview at Endpoints AI Day, Frey discussed how Anthropic plans to integrate its large language model, Claude, into early‑stage pharmaceutical research, aiming to accelerate target identification and design of therapeutic candidates.

He also addressed the challenges of using AI for drug development, noting that while the technology can suggest promising molecules, clinical outcomes and quality‑adjusted life‑years remain the ultimate measures of success.

The conversation highlighted Anthropic’s broader strategy to partner with biopharma companies, leveraging its AI expertise to complement traditional research pipelines.