Cambridge, Mass.– Phare Bio, a nonprofit biotech organization focused on combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR), has been named the winner of the “Most Innovative Technology or Service” category in Newsweek’s 2025 AI Impact Awards. The recognition highlights the company’s pioneering work in using generative AI to develop novel antibiotics and address a growing global health crisis.
Phare Bio’s platform, developed in collaboration with the Collins Lab at MIT, is reimagining antibiotic discovery through artificial intelligence. The organization has already identified three entirely new antibiotic classes—including the first ever discovered through AI—and is moving lead candidates into preclinical development to fight some of the world’s most drug-resistant bacterial pathogens.
“This award from Newsweek is a tremendous honor and validation of our mission,” said Dr. Akhila Kosaraju, President and CEO of Phare Bio. “Antimicrobial resistance poses an urgent threat to public health, and we’re working to rebuild the antibiotic pipeline by uniting scientific innovation with a sense of urgency and equity.”
What sets Phare Bio apart is its social venture model. Operating as a nonprofit, the company is committed to open-sourcing its AI tools, ensuring broader access to its discoveries and encouraging global collaboration in antibiotic development. This approach has earned wide support, including major grants and accolades. Backers include Google.org, The Audacious Project, and a $27 million award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). The organization was also recently recognized by Fast Company on its 2025 World Changing Ideas list.
As traditional pharmaceutical R&D struggles to keep pace with rising AMR, Phare Bio is demonstrating how AI and open science can reinvigorate the search for life-saving antibiotics. With this latest award, the company is further cementing its role as a global leader in next-generation infectious disease research.
