Innovation fast-track: How AI is revolutionising pharma and healthcare

The combination of artificial intelligence (AI) with cutting-edge technology integrations is leading to widespread transformation for organisations within the pharmaceuticals and healthcare industry.

For many organisations, last year was about understanding what is possible with AI and experimenting further. With generative AI, businesses are now looking beyond robotic process acceleration (RPA) and exploring intelligence and new offerings with the likes of synthetic audiences. In the past few months, this focus has shifted into more material efforts with investments in capability areas. But real change and transformation begins when proof of concepts and technology graduate from the launch-learn-pivot cycles and move out of the labs into business-as-usual.

This blog post delves into some of the groundbreaking AI use cases that are reshaping the landscape and propelling the industry towards new levels of product and service innovation and efficacy.

Accelerating drug discovery

The conventional drug discovery process is known for its intricacies and time-intensive nature, and AI has emerged as an accelerator for this critical phase. By leveraging machine learning algorithms, the industry is now witnessing accelerated drug discovery, with AI swiftly analysing vast datasets to identify potential candidates. This not only expedites the research process, but also holds the promise of bringing life-changing medications to patients in record time. At Credera, we are leveraging accelerators across data synthesis, pattern detection, and predictive modelling to achieve a faster time to market.

Revolutionising clinical trials: From planning to execution

Clinical trials, the linchpin of pharmaceutical advancements, are undergoing radical levels of change through AI integration. Planning and executing trials demands meticulous precision. Predictive analytics, powered by AI algorithms, are streamlining trial protocols, optimising participant recruitment, and enhancing data analysis. The result is a more efficient and cost-effective clinical trial ecosystem, enabling novel therapies to reach markets with greater agility.

Streamlining operations and services

Healthcare and life science organisations have an abundance of disconnected data across prescription and sales data, claims data, clinical trial management systems (CTMS), patient support systems, call centres, and owned channels. Embarking on AI journeys for personas can help achieve a unified stakeholder view and an omnichannel self-service experience with tailored engagement across member, patient, citizen, physician, caregiver, and partner personas.

This unified view then enables integration of services and operations to deliver greater efficiencies. Some quick wins include:

• Synthetic data generation: This ethical and privacy-conscious approach facilitates comprehensive testing and training of AI algorithms without compromising sensitive patient information.

• Inventory tracking and restocking: AI-driven inventory management is ensuring optimal stock levels and minimising waste. From pharmaceuticals to medical equipment, AI facilitates real-time tracking and automated restocking, ensuring healthcare facilities operate seamlessly.

• Data sharing/interoperability: AI is breaking down data silos, fostering seamless data sharing and interoperability. This interconnected data ecosystem enhances collaboration among healthcare stakeholders, promoting informed decision-making and improving patient outcomes.

• Generative AI cloud services: Generative AI is unlocking new possibilities in cloud services. From drug discovery simulations to personalised treatment plans, AI-driven cloud services are propelling innovation across the entire healthcare spectrum.

Improving public health monitoring

Public health agencies are leveraging AI for proactive disease outbreak monitoring. By analysing vast datasets in real time, AI enables the early detection of potential health threats, facilitating swift and targeted responses to outbreaks. AI-driven insights are helping public health agencies optimise resource allocation—from healthcare personnel to medical supplies—ensuring resources are strategically deployed to address current needs and prepare for future challenges. Cyberattacks and data breaches are also among the current challenges that public health agencies need to safeguard and future-proof against. In our own work with public health organisations, we are leveraging accelerators designed to continuously monitor and detect security breaches and privacy violations in patient data.

Transforming patient care dynamics

AI-driven technology is enabling speed of detection and delivery of patient care. From identifying anomalies in radiology images to detecting early signs of diseases through medical imaging, AI is enhancing diagnostic accuracy, improving availability via telemedicine, and expediting treatment decisions. The technology is at the forefront of an emerging era of precision medicine, where patient data, genetic information, and clinical records can combine to help tailor therapies and minimise adverse effects.

Private healthcare providers are also leveraging patient screening and proactive identification of health risks. Coupled with on-demand and personalised care, providers can now deliver targeted interventions in an emerging patient-centric approach. At Credera, we have enabled quick access to insights for healthcare providers from medical information by summarising and querying research documents and available health data. For patients, our appointment scheduling and reminder accelerators are designed to help patients schedule and remember medical appointments and improve overall compliance. Virtual health assistants could soon add to the frontline capability in preventive healthcare, offering physicians the ability to identify potential health issues to address before they escalate.

Speeding up the MedTech supply chain

Another area AI is bolstering is the resilience of MedTech supply chains. With the ability to identify potential risks and optimise processes, the industry is now better equipped to respond to dynamic challenges post-pandemic, ensuring a steady and reliable flow of essential medical supplies.

Using predictive protection in medical insurance

In the medium term, markets will likely witness the introduction of predictive protection in the medical insurance industry. Insurers are beginning to harness the power of predictive modelling, shifting the focus from reactive to preventative healthcare. AI analyses vast datasets to identify potential health risks, enabling payers to implement proactive interventions and reduce long-term healthcare costs.

AI is also increasing efficiency, reducing processing times, and minimising errors, ultimately improving the overall claims management process.

From generative product design, where generative design algorithms are creating innovative prosthetics, medical devices, and equipment, to diagnostic image enhancement, our teams across AI technology are engaged in predictive maintenance and diagnostic precision, assisting radiologists in medical imaging diagnosis including X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans. We are also able to forecast maintenance needs for critical assets to minimise downtime and ensure reliable healthcare equipment.

Harnessing the AI advantage with Credera

Credera has invested in use cases across the pharma marketing process, from AI analysing medical literature and clinical data in research, dynamic content creation, and AI-enhanced MLR preparation plus compliance checks, to media activation and integration with Veeva. It takes a multi-disciplinary approach that leverages an ecosystem of partnerships to bring the synergies to bear.

Our pharma clients are realising the benefits of effective integration of AI across diverse use cases, enabling them to enhance efficiency and improve patient engagement and outcomes.

Over the past decade, we have helped healthcare organisations across markets realise significant value from traditional to generative AI through a comprehensive AI strategy, experimentation, and implementation. Credera’s Global AI Council is comprised of leading experts, policymakers, industry leaders, and academics with AI-specific backgrounds and skills to bring diverse, cutting-edge thinking to the challenges we solve every day in the AI space. Through our work together, our clients have benefited from an average 30% increase in return on investment for patient engagement and 46% increase in operational efficiencies.

Our expertise encompasses various domains including generative models, predictive analytics, natural language processing (NLP), recommendations, and other specialised areas. If you would like to learn more about our work within the pharmaceutical sector, explore some of our recent case studies or get in touch with a member of our team.

• AI
• Artificial Intelligence
• Healthcare
• Data