Published : 26 Oct 2026, 06:34 PM
Updated : 26 Oct 2026, 06:34 PM
An artificial intelligence research lab in California has administered a custom AI-designed virus to a human patient for the first time in an attempt to combat antibiotic-resistant superbugs, according to The Independent.
AI startup Radical Numerics announced the experimental treatment, named Omnii-1, which was delivered under a physician-led compassionate-use pathway for a patient with limited remaining medical options.
If verified through peer-reviewed research, the procedure would mark the first time AI-designed bacteriophages -- viruses that specifically target and destroy bacteria -- have been administered to a human, the British news outlet reported.
Traditional phage therapy requires researchers to conduct lengthy searches through vast environmental phage collections to find a match for a specific infection.
Radical Numerics claims its AI model, trained on diverse genomic data and phage-host interactions, can rapidly generate tailored phages on demand.
The company synthesised the AI-designed viral variants to verify their viability and activity before administering them, though it declined to disclose specific clinical outcomes, citing patient privacy.