CSL Ltd is utilising artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionise drug development and enhance treatment personalisation. The global biotech company, valued at A$147.3 billion, has begun integrating AI into its extensive research and development program, which exceeds A$1 billion annually.
CSL vice-president of Research Michael Wilson highlighted AI's transformative impact on drug development, saying, “What’s really changing the pharma and biotech industry is that we have a lot more data to work with now. We have much better computing power.”
He emphasised that AI allowed for rapid data analysis, significantly shortening processes from a year to mere seconds.
AI not only aids in drug discovery by identifying promising compounds but it predicts the potential impact of infectious agents. This advancement underscores the necessity of investment in AI to remain competitive.
Wilson noted that AI’s role in patient stratification could greatly enhance cancer treatment by matching the right drug with the right patient group based on genetic markers.
“If you think about particular cancers, they are now characterised using particular biomarkers, not in the sense of which organ the cancer has come from but more in the genetic mutations that cancer possesses that will determine what the treatment regimen is going to be applied for that particular patient,” Wilson said.
“Breast cancer is probably the easiest one to understand. Is it hormone-responsive or not hormone-responsive? Does it have particular biomarkers?
“The way that this works is that essentially what you need is to be able to access data – molecular data, biomarker data – from the patients that you’re interested in versus the people that don’t have the disease.”
CSL’s approach parallels that of Moderna, which has partnered with OpenAI to expedite drug development and automate various business operations. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel predicts this will enable the launch of 15 new products within five years.
The CSIRO is also exploring AI’s potential in drug discovery through its new A$15 million supercomputer, Virga.
Head of CSIRO's drug discovery chemistry team Lewis Blackman emphasised the importance of high-quality data and advanced computational infrastructure, saying, “There is a need for making drug discovery faster and cheaper so that we can better respond to previously untreatable diseases and future pandemic threats, such as the rise of antimicrobial resistance.”