AI and Big Data to disrupt pharma in 2022

Post-COVID, the pharma industry is facing challenges throughout the value chain—and AI and Big Data could offer a solution.

A recent report found that healthcare professionals see these two emerging technologies as having the greatest impact on pharma in 2022.

AI and Big Data are inextricably linked in healthcare: data from pharmaceutical processes can only add value if it’s properly analysed and used to drive accurate results—which is where AI algorithms get a chance to shine. 

Successful uses of AI in pharma have been on the rise, with giants like AstraZeneca, GSK, Pfizer and more forging partnerships with AI companies to boost efficiency and improve development and production processes. 

2020 saw Exscientia and Sumitomo Dainippon working together to create two AI-designed drugs, while BenevolentAI identified Eli Lilly’s baricitinib as a possible COVID-19 treatment in only three days. In 2021, we saw Exscientia and Evotec announced a trial for the first AI-designed immuno-oncology drug—a way to fight cancer.

This trend looks set to gather pace in 2022, with Sanoli already making a deal with Exscientia to develop immunology and oncology treatments, while AstraZeneca and BenevolentAI are expanding their drug discovery partnership to cover heart failure and systemic lupus. 

Aided by some of the bizarre upsides of the pandemic, these rapid improvements will continue to drive change across the pharma industry—and companies that want to stay competitive will continue to use AI and big data to create innovations that drive business growth, boost resilience, and help them stay afloat in the disruptive business landscape of 2022.