AI can reduce drug development time by six years

A new type of artificial intelligence (AI) could significantly speed up the development of drugs, cutting the time needed by about six years. This advancement could allow cancer patients to access treatments much faster. Researchers from the Institute of Cancer Research in London have developed a technology that analyzes changes in the shape of cancer cells. This "AI fingerprint" technology helps scientists quickly determine how well new drugs can target these cells, potentially saving millions in research costs by identifying projects that may fail early on. The team believes this method could reduce the pre-clinical phase of drug development from three years to just three months. Additionally, it could shorten the time required for clinical trials by up to six years. Chris Bakal, a professor involved in the research, explained that the AI can decode the shape of cancer cells, revealing how they respond to different drugs. The goal is to match the right drugs with the right patients, allowing for more effective clinical trials. The AI was trained using nearly 100,000 3D images of melanoma cells, a technique that differs from previous methods that relied on flat, 2D images. The AI proved to be highly accurate, predicting the effects of various drugs with up to 99.3% accuracy. This technology is not limited to cancer. It has also shown promise in analyzing other cell types, suggesting that it could benefit research for various diseases. The team is optimistic about the potential impact of this AI on drug development and patient care.