Throughout my career, I have closely examined innovation within the animal health sector. Recently, I have been considering how advancements and adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) could streamline the drug discovery process.
Many startups today emphasize their use of AI to improve efficiency, speed, and cost-effectiveness. What I am eager to understand is how AI can analyze massive datasets, clinical trial results, and genetic information to propose new drug candidates. This can lead to better predictive modeling, thereby reducing development timelines and associated costs.
This week, an Innovation webcast from Zoetis—the world’s largest animal health company—provided insight into practical AI applications in research and development. Dr. Robert Polzer, Executive Vice President and President of R&D at Zoetis, highlighted four key areas where AI is currently being utilized: target identification, candidate selection, clinical trial management, and report generation.
While Zoetis is targeting significant opportunities, could AI become a valuable tool for developing new treatments for orphan diseases and minor species? I hope so. Additionally, AI may help reduce animal testing, pave the way for veterinary precision medicine, and enable AI-driven computation of cross-species pharmacokinetics.
Despite concerns about AI fatigue, it appears that the journey is just beginning, and there is much more potential to be realized in the intersection of AI and Innovation.
Dr. Chuck Johnson
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