AI in pharmaceuticals Archives - Medical Design Sourcing

2024: AI and scientists take turns at the wheel of drug discovery

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In drug discovery, interest in harnessing the power of AI ramped up significantly with breakthroughs like AlphaFold, where AI predicted protein structures with astounding accuracy. AI’s initial focus was analyzing existing data, with machine learning systems excelling at tasks like predicting new drug interactions, molecular behaviors, and even biological pathways, based on troves of experimental data. ML can also aid in identifying promising drug targets by using natural language processing to analyze scientific literature.

But AI’s role is rapidly evolving. In 2024, AI is poised to transition from analyzing existing data to a more proactive drug discovery role as a predictor and collaborator. Shifts fueling the trend include the rise of generative AI, which can create novel molecular structures and predict their properties. An…

2024 forecast: Navigating new frontiers in pharma with AI, synthetic data, and strategic partnerships

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In late 2022, we published a series of predictions, which, among other things, projected that 2023 would be a “massive showcase” for machine learning (ML) in drug discovery and development. And in many ways, 2023 was a pivotal year for AI in pharma. This evolution in AI and ML applications in pharma built upon the groundwork laid in 2022, a year in which the pharma sector embraced digital components, dynamic clinical trial designs, and advanced data science initiatives related to radiomics. Now, the ongoing focus on ML for processing large volumes of molecular, biochemical, and genomic data continues to lay the groundwork for innovation in 2024.

The predictions for 2024 further emphasize the importance of data, in both structured and unstructured formats, while also touching on a range of other themes related to everything from pharma partnerships with virtual care providers to the challenges and s…

Eversana’s AWS alliance aims to cut red tape in pharma regulatory paperwork

In July, the life sciences services company Eversana revealed it was partnering with AWS to tap generative AI (gen AI) for pharma and other life science customers. It aimed to “pharmatize” gen AI, as the company put it then. Now, the company has revealed the first technology from that partnership – a regulatory review automation system using natural language processing and gen AI services on the AWS platform.

To arrive at its first area of focus, the company considered use cases that were “really practical,” offering “great opportunities for efficiency gains,” but without high risk to patients or healthcare professionals, said Scott Snyder, Eversana’s chief digital officer. The company used a version of the three R’s — responsibility, reliability and ROI. The first chiefly involves “making sure you really understand this is something you’re going to take ownership of, be accountable for, and do it in the right way,” Snyder said. Eversana …

Nvidia-Genentech AI drug discovery alliance unites computing brawn with biological brains

NVIDIA BioNeMo AI molecular modeling software can uncover complex biochemical interactions through AI-driven molecular modeling techniques. [Image courtesy of NVIDIA]

Technically, graphics processing and AI hardware powerhouse Nvidia is also a drug discovery company. It may not discover drugs in-house, but it has developed BioNeMo, a comprehensive generative AI platform for drug discovery and Clara, a collection of healthcare frameworks, applications, and tools, including for biopharma. Nvidia partners include Amgen, AstraZeneca, GSK and Insilico Medicine.

Similarly, biotech pioneer and Roche subsidiary Genentech is also an AI company. It has experience in applying machine learning to an array of disease areas, and has extensive biological and molecular datasets and research capabilities. Its initiatives include alliance with firms such as Recursion Pharmaceuticals and Reverie Labs that focus on using AI for nov…

Visualizing automation’s influence on drug discovery careers

Today, the pharma sector, like many others, appears to be on the cusp of a transformation thanks to the influence of automation on drug discovery careers. Companies ranging from Insilico Medicine to Big Pharma firms like Janssen and Sanofi are putting AI at the heart of their operations. Many are increasingly recruiting workers from the tech sector.

Complex dynamics are at play amidst this shift. The integration of automation in the pharmaceutical industry is not simply a story of job loss and displacement. While 2023 will go down as notable year for layoffs in the sector, AI also promises to redefine existing jobs as create new ones as well.

An exploration of the influence of automation on drug discovery careers

To shed light on the varying susceptibility to automation of different job roles within the pharmaceutical industry, we created the stacked bar chart below that examines thirteen roles in the industry, each evaluated on fourteen different metrics that…

Decoding the future of RNA vaccines with Aldevron’s Venkata Indurthi

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From tackling the COVID-19 pandemic to paving the way for future global health challenges, RNA vaccines have rapidly gained attention in recent years. Researchers are already working to extend their capabilities for next-gen medicines. For example, scientists are working to create multivalent RNA formulations that can fight multiple virus variants. They are also exploring AI tools to refine RNA vaccine designs, predicting viral mutations, optimizing dosages and improving stability while easing stringent cold chain requirements. Such considerations could shape future pandemic responses.

In the following Q&A, Venkata Indurthi, chief scientific officer at genomic medicine manufacturing specialist Aldevron gives us an inside look at these RNA vaccine developments. Indurthi details the unique challenges researchers face in developing thermostable formulations, forecasting mutatio…

How 11 Big Pharma companies are using AI

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Pharma companies are ramping up their reliance on AI in drug discovery, clinical trials and manufacturing. Bloomberg recently frame the technology as providing a $50 billion opportunity to the sector. GlobalData noted that the pandemic played a role in stoking interest in AI. But given the hype often surrounding the technology, it can be difficult to gauge actual impacts and outcomes of such initiatives, which largely remain undisclosed.

The pharma industry faces mounting pressures to discover and develop new drugs faster and at lower costs. AI has emerged as a promising tool to help overcome long-standing challenges like high failure rates, lengthy development timelines, and resource inefficiency.

While pharma companies are making big bets on AI, the actual impacts and outcomes of many initiatives remain largely behind the scenes. Still, there are some examples that provide…