The researchers have demonstrated the tool’s potential by identifying a promising candidate to prevent heart failure, a leading cause of death in the United States and around the world. The research is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The new AI tool called LogiRx, can predict how drugs will affect biological processes in the body, helping scientists understand the effects the drugs will have other than their original purpose. For example, the researchers found that the antidepressant escitalopram, sold as Lexapro, may prevent harmful changes in the heart that lead to heart failure, a condition that causes almost half of all cardiovascular deaths in the United States.