Webinar on Artificial Intelligence in Drug Discovery

AI-driven strategies are proving invaluable across various stages of drug discovery, from identifying and validating drug targets to modeling medications and enhancing their draggability. Additionally, there’s a growing emphasis on patient-centric clinical trials to refine decision-making processes. To better understand how this emerging technology is being used in drug discovery, DNDi India Foundation and Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) collaborated to host a webinar titled “Artificial Intelligence in Drug Discovery: A Snapshot of Current Use and Prospects for the Indian Drug Discovery Space” on 29 April 2024.

The webinar featured insights from guest speakers who shared fascinating perspectives on the potential impact of AI on healthcare. Dr Radha Rangarajan, Director of Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, highlighted the significant potential of AI in the pharmaceutical industry, while acknowledging the challenges that need to be addressed. Dr Gaurav Ahuja from Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi, was of the opinion that, “AI can expedite drug discovery processes, particularly in clinical trials, leading to faster and more efficient outcomes. Treatments should reach the affected people at the fastest speed possible, AI has the capacity to do that.”

Dr Charles Mowbray, Discovery Director at Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), emphasized the importance of AI in addressing neglected diseases, although acknowledging existing challenges. Academicians from different institutions took part in the webinar and provided perspectives that sparked the interest of participants. Prof. G. Narahari Sastry from Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad elaborated on AI’s role in drug repurposing, and Prof. Shandar Ahmad from Jawaharlal Nehru University provided insights into AI’s significance as both a commodity and method in drug discovery.

The webinar, expertly moderated by Dr. Monalisa Chatterji of Sekkei Bio Private Limited, provided a comprehensive overview of the potential of AI in revolutionizing drug discovery processes. It was an enlightening discussion that showcased how AI could shape the future of medicine.