AI Articles and Analysis in Pharma

In 2020, we wrote about the early but fertile stage of AI development at Johnson and Johnson. Since then, the COVID-19 pandemic and improvements to machine learning have forced important changes in how J&J is using artificial intelligence. 

As life sciences organizations increasingly adopt AI to enhance productivity, streamline workflows, and improve quality, aligning AI initiatives with business objectives and evolving traditional return on investment (ROI) metrics have become essential strategies. These practices not only secure executive buy-in but also ensure sustained success in AI adoption.

Lilly and Company is a global pharmaceutical corporation founded in 1876 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The company has offices in 18 countries and sells its products in approximately 125 countries worldwide. As of 2024, Lilly employs over 38,000 people globally and has an annual revenue of $34.12 billion. 

Explainable AI models are essential in pharmaceutical R&D because they provide transparency and understanding of how AI-driven predictions are made. In drug discovery and development, stakeholders, including researchers, regulatory bodies, and healthcare professionals, need to trust and understand AI models' outputs to make informed decisions. Without explainability, AI models can be seen as "black boxes," leading to skepticism and reluctance to adopt these technologies in critical decision-making processes. 

This article/interview analysis is sponsored by BenevolentAI and was written, edited, and published in alignment with our Emerj sponsored content guidelines. Learn more about our thought leadership and content creation services on our Emerj Media Services page.

AstraZeneca is a global biopharmaceutical company that researches, develops, manufactures, and markets prescription drugs and vaccines. Its key therapeutic areas include oncology, cardiovascular, renal, metabolism, respiratory, and immunology. In 2022, the company reported revenue of $42.67 billion and a profit of $4.08 billion. The company has a significant global presence, employing around 89,900 people across more than 60 countries as of 2023.

As stakeholders in the life sciences and healthcare industries rush to adopt GenAI and integrate it into their projects and processes, they are walking a tightrope. GenAI will play a vital role in the future of healthcare in ways that we can hardly yet imagine; on the other hand, concerns like patient data privacy and potential inaccuracies have led many to take a cautious approach. 

According to research from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, nine out of 10 drugs fail to make it to market in the clinical trials process. Researchers in the cited studies found that 40-50% of these failures are due to a lack of clinical efficacy, meaning that the drug is not able to produce its intended effect in people, and 30% were due to unmanageable toxicity or side effects.