Pharmaceutical companies are incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) to increase R&D efficiency and productivity. They are using supercomputers and machine learning systems to predict the behavior of molecules and to gauge the likeliness of whether the molecules can be incorporated into a useful drug.

Earlier this month, pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced a collaboration with Exscientia, a drug design company that uses AI technologies for drug research. According to the company, Exscientia’s AI systems are estimated to deliver drug candidates in a quarter of the current time and at a quarter of the current cost. Exscientia has also partnered with Sanofi, Berg, Numerate, twoXAR, Atomwise and BenevolentAI. Although the technology has yet to be proven, pharmaceutical companies are optimistic that AI systems could decrease the cost of drugs and the R&D time it takes for patients to obtain them. GSK, for example, hopes to cut the time it takes for identifying a disease intervention target and researching the molecule that fights it from an average of five-and-a-half years to one year through the use of AI systems.

According to industry experts, if AI technology proves efficient in streamlining pharmaceutical research, there may be even more mergers in the pharmaceutical industry and a greater integration of AI within drug R&D.

Source: Reuters