AI in Pharma ? Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies are revolutionizing numerous industries, including the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. This quick guide provides a background on AI technology, how it works, and its impact on drug discovery, development, manufacturing, and patient care.
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Table of Contents
Components of AI and How it Works
Understanding how AI impacts the pharmaceutical industry requires some insight into how the technology works.
To start, AI is an extensive technology area encompassing numerous functions and techniques. The overall goal of AI is to produce computing programs that mimic human intelligence in some capacity to perform tasks requiring reasoning or perception.
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Components of AI Technology
AI systems are built using the following three components:
“Big” Data
AI systems “learn” by processing large amounts of data, including text, audio, sensor information, images, and video.
Algorithms
An AI algorithm is a mathematical process or set of rules that uses data to perform a specific task. A simple example of an algorithm would be the Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation using height and weight data. Complex algorithm examples for AI include supervised, unsupervised, deep, and reinforcement learning.
Models
An AI model is output or a software program that uses training data to establish patterns, generate new content, and make decisions or predictions.
AI vs. Machine Learning
AI and machine learning are two distinct concepts.
As mentioned previously, AI is a specialized technology area that uses functions and techniques to develop “human”-like intelligence to perform tasks.
In contrast, machine learning is a subset of AI that leverages algorithms to “learn” from the data while gradually improving accuracy throughout the process.
A machine learning model is a program or output that has been trained from data to recognize types of patterns.
How AI Impacts the Pharmaceutical Industry
AI and its subset technologies are being used throughout the pharmaceutical industry in the following areas:
Drug Discovery
AI use in pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) potentially accelerates drug development and reduces the time to market for patients.
AI algorithms can identify drug targets, predict drug interaction, and design new drugs. This is accomplished by analyzing massive amounts of data from databases containing genetic information, data from clinical trials, and scientific papers. By aggregating and analyzing this information using big data technology optimized for pharma, AI can identify new drug targets and predict their efficacy.
Drug Manufacturing
AI is used in drug manufacturing and global pharmaceutical supply chains to improve efficiency and optimize production.
AI is additionally leveraged to improve quality control processes by analyzing massive amounts of data from monitoring devices and sensors. Besides identifying quality issues, AI algorithms can also detect production anomalies and offer corrective actions.
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Clinical Trials
AI technology analyzes data to optimize trial designs and predict any possible issues. This potentially reduces the time it takes to conduct a clinical trial while lowering costs.
AI also helps improve accuracy and efficiency by using patient databases to identify suitable participants and predict possible outcomes.
Personalized Medicine
AI is a valuable tool used in personalized medicine to identify genetic biomarkers that predict an individual’s response to a specific drug. AI algorithms additionally analyze data to develop personalized drug combinations customized to a patient’s particular requirements.
Future AI Developments for Pharmaceuticals
AI is among the dominant healthcare and biotechnology trends projected to emerge in the future. Examples include algorithm-designed drugs, gene sequencing, and increased automation in pharmaceutical manufacturing processes.
AI and Drug Repurposing
AI can analyze massive amounts of data from electronic health records to identify what generic drugs can be used to treat new indications. For example, the arthritis drug Baricitinib was repurposed as a treatment for COVID-19 using AI technology.
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AI and Pharmaceutical Industry FAQ
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are used throughout the pharmaceutical industry in multiple sectors, including drug discovery, production, supply chains, clinical trials, marketing, and personalized medicine.
AI algorithms are being used to analyze large amounts of data based on genetics, lifestyle, and drug reactions to create customized treatment plans in the emerging field of personalized medicine.
Machine learning algorithms are used to identify new drug candidates, design clinical trials, identify potential safety issues, optimize supply chains, and develop personalized treatment plans.
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