Microsoft and 1910 Genetics: AI-powered partnership targets billion-dollar savings and growth in drug discovery

[Image: 1910 Genetics]

The pharmaceutical industry is at a critical juncture: AI and other technological advances offer unprecedented potential, yet the cost of developing new drugs has ballooned for decades, surpassing $2 billion in recent years with the projected return on investment (ROI) falling to a mere 1.2% in 2022, according to Deloitte. Another dimension of the problem is the high failure rate — many potential drugs fall short in the expensive clinical trials.

Microsoft and 1910 Genetics have announced a partnership that aims to reverse the troubling trend.

Accelerating discovery with AI and quantum-inspired computing

Microsoft’s Azure Quantum Elements is at the core of this alliance. The platform integrates high-performance computing, AI, and quantum techniques for faster scientific discovery in chemistry and materials science. The goal is to democratize technologies like AI, high-performa…

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Skynet with benefits: Can AI and humans become a drug discovery superorganism?

[Adobe Stock]

Will the credit for future mega-blockbuster drugs, in some cases, go to a carefully-programmed AI discovery system connected to a “self-driving lab” that verified its potential?

Certainly, AI is hyped, but so are potential profits of potentially AI-optimized drugs. The exploding volumes of scientific data highlight a shift often overlooked: what does “inventor” even mean when human brilliance relies on AI and vast datasets no single person can comprehend? This future depends in part on connecting the dots between data experts, lab scientists with domain knowledge, and the machine learning systems capable of pattern recognition humans can’t even fathom. But the crux isn’t simply generating more data, and making it a shared, dynamic force fueling breakthrough discoveries — a force deeply integrated with computation and human expertise.

Breaking through the data bottleneck

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