Artificial Intelligence in Pharma: In today’s world, technology is changing rapidly and the world of medicines i.e. the pharmaceutical industry is also not untouched by it. Now Artificial Intelligence i.e. AI has brought a new revolution in this industry. Where earlier it used to take 10 years to make a new medicine, now with the help of AI this work is becoming possible in a few years. Not only making medicines, but from patient care to the supply chain of medicines, the use of AI is increasing everywhere.
Let’s understand it in simple language how AI is working in the pharma industry, what are the benefits from it, and what is the future ahead.
Moving towards AI – Artificial Intelligence in Pharma
The use of AI has increased rapidly in the pharmaceutical sector in the last few years. In 2024, about 80% of pharma and life sciences professionals are using AI, especially in the work of finding new medicines.
By 2025, it is expected that the pharma industry will benefit by about $350 to $410 billion every year through AI. These figures show that AI is no longer a thing of the future, but has become a necessity today.
According to a report, the AI-in-pharma market will grow at a rate of about 42.68% every year from 2024 to 2029 and will increase by about $15 billion.
Use of AI in Pharma Healthcare
1. Discovery of medicines with AI
The work that used to be done in 10 years, now takes 1 year
The process of discovering new medicines is very long and expensive. Usually it takes 10 to 12 years to bring a single medicine to the market. And the sad thing is that only 1 out of 10,000 medicines reach the end.
AI is changing this entire process. How?
- AI rapidly screens thousands and millions of chemical compounds with the help of computers.
- These models can also tell how a drug will affect the body and whether it can have any side effects.
- This gives scientists an idea of which compound would be right to research further.
For example, tools like DeepChem, GraphConv, and IBM RXN help design and test drugs.
Now the work that used to take 5 to 6 years earlier, can be completed in 1 year with the help of AI. This also reduces expenses and medicines also reach patients quickly.
2. Clinical trials with AI – accuracy and low cost
Before anything is marketed as a drug, it goes through clinical trials with real patients. Making a new product is expensive, requires a lot of time and there are many risks involved.
With the help of AI:
- The right patients are selected for the trial.
- By analysing data such as the patient’s age, disease, personal history, it is decided which patient will be suitable for which medicine.
- At the time of the trial, AI follows the patient actively to discover side effects as early as possible.
Applying AI saves both time and money during the entire trial process. As a result, medicines will arrive with patients quickly and affordable pricing.
3. AI in supply chain – safe delivery of medicines
The supply chain of medicines is very complex – the medicine is made in one country, sent to another country, then reaches the hospitals or shops there. In this process, many times the medicines get spoiled or do not reach on time.
AI is helping here too:
- It predicts how much medicine will be needed in which area (Demand Forecasting).
- IoT sensors are used in the storage and transport of medicines that monitor temperature and time – especially for sensitive medicines like vaccines.
- AI can also identify fake medicines, which ensures patient safety.
With this, companies can prevent wastage of medicines, manage stock better and deliver medicines to patients on time.
4. Use of AI in hospitals and medical stores
In hospitals – AI has increased the power of pharmacists
- AI tells which medicine should be given to which patient and in what quantity.
- It warns the medical staff if any two medicines can collide with each other (Drug-Drug Interaction).
- The doctor gets the right advice based on the patient’s medical history.
In community pharmacy (Medical Store) – the wonder of AI
- Automatic dispensing systems help in giving medicines in the right quantity and at the right time.
- AI estimates how much medicine will be needed in the shop, so that there is no problem of shortage or excess stock.
- This also analyzes public health data – such as which disease has more cases in which area.
5. AI in education and research – preparing a new generation
AI is not only being used in making or selling medicines, but also in pharmacy studies and research. It is called ‘Augmented Intelligence’ – that is, a partnership of humans and machines.
- Now pharmacy students are being trained on AI based systems.
- Big Data is being used in research, which is making new discoveries easier.
- Interdisciplinary research is now being done by combining medical, computer science and biological science.
Challenges in adopting AI
Like every new technology, AI also has some problems:
- Data bias: If AI is given wrong or incomplete information, its result will also be wrong.
- Black Box Model: Many AI models are so complex that it is difficult to understand their decisions.
- Ethical questions: The protection of patient’s personal information, consent, and equal treatment for all – all these questions also arise.
- Biological Complexity: AI is still not able to fully understand every biological system.
To deal with these challenges, companies should adopt FAIR Data Principles – Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable. Also, ALCOA Principles should also be followed – Attributable, Legible, Contemporaneous, Original, Accurate.
Towards the future – Humans and Machines together
In the future, both AI and humans will have equal roles in the pharmaceutical industry. AI can analyze large data sets quickly and accurately, but AI cannot provide the experience, understanding and humanity of doctors and pharmacists.
That is why AI should never be considered a substitute for humans, but should be seen as a supporting tool that helps doctors and scientists take better decisions.
Conclusion
AI is no longer just a thing of the future, it is today’s reality. This not only makes medicines faster, but patients are also getting better, cheaper and personalized treatment. AI is making its mark in every part of the pharma industry – research, trials, supply, sales and patient care.
However, this journey has to be traversed carefully. It is important to pay attention to data quality, ethics and transparency. If all this is done in a balanced manner, AI can take the pharmaceutical industry to new heights.
In the times to come, AI will become the basic pillar of our healthcare system – which will enable every person to get better treatment, timely medicine and a healthy life.
Shreya Singh is a dedicated professor and lecturer with a strong academic background in pharmaceuticals and education. She completed her D. Pharma from Chandigarh University and holds a B.Ed. from Delhi University. With years of teaching experience at the college level, Shreya brings deep subject knowledge and a passion for learning to every classroom and blog post. An avid writer and educator, she enjoys sharing insightful content, simplifying complex topics, and helping students and readers grow academically and professionally.