The role AI can play in drug discovery and development is well documented, but the recent global pandemic has highlighted the growing importance this technology has in the fight against disease, writes Lu Rahman.
AI
Never has the world been more aware of the time and cost involved in the development of new drugs and vaccines. The global hunt is on for a vaccine for Covid-19, a process that usually takes 10-15 years. And while the pharmaceutical sector seeks treatments for the virus, this comes at a cost – a huge one. According to a study by the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, it costs around $2.6 billion to develop a new prescription drug.
When the race is on to find treatment and prevention, the need to do things differently is clear. The luxury of time doesn’t exist when hundreds of thousands are dying, and this is where AI and machine learning are coming into their own. Companies such as Sanofi, Pfizer and Genentech, have already shown their interest and support for this technology, but in 2020, its ability to accelerate drug discovery and development has never been more crucial.