Healthcare Businesswomen's Association

Smart Algorithms, Smarter Drugs: The AI in Modern Drug Discovery & Development

HBA CNJ New York Smart Algorithms

Authored by Arlene Marie Karole

On the evening of  24 October 2024, HBA Central New Jersey and HBA NY Tri State Region presented this special, hybrid, Rutgers University sponsored program, “Smart Algorithms, Smarter Drugs: The AI in Modern Drug Discovery & Development” in New Brunswick, NJ. 

We are deeply grateful to our Sponsor Beth Ann Murphy and her team at Rutgers University, Master of Science and Business Program for hosting our program. It had an excellent turnout and drew an impressive crowd of more than 150 participants, both in person and online with attendees joining from around the U.S. and beyond. The session featured an exceptional panel of AI experts, who led a thought-provoking discussion on AI's revolutionary role in advancing drug discovery and development.

Meet Our Outstanding Panel and Faculty 

The panel was moderated by Beth Ann Murphy PhD Assistant Professor of Professional Practice, Rutgers University, and included the following Panelists:

Program Overview

The event kicked off with a dynamic networking reception, igniting opportunities for attendees to forge new connections, rekindle relationships, and learn from and engage with our panelists during the Q & A session.

Moderator Beth Ann Murphy kicked off the program by sharing that pharma has been using AI for quite some time and asked the panelists to introduce themselves, share where they sit in the drug discovery process, what benefits AI brings, what challenges they face, how AI helps overcome those challenges, as well as myriad other questions and discussion—here’s an overview.

Our panel shared that AI is revolutionizing drug discovery by significantly reducing the time and costs traditionally associated with early-stage research. Through machine learning and predictive modeling, AI-driven platforms analyze vast datasets to identify promising drug candidates, predict efficacy, and optimize molecular structures. These advancements enable researchers to streamline clinical trial phases and bring innovative therapies to market faster—all while minimizing risk and expense.

We heard from various panelists as Joseph Szustakowski shared “AI is a rapidly growing and it is a competitive field automating complex tasks and driving transformative advancements.” While the panel concurred, Josh Rochotte, countered “AI is not a be-all-end-all for any one thing and must be used responsibly.”

During this engaging and productive discussion on the evolving landscape of AI, the panel shared that AI empowers pharmaceutical companies to create more targeted and personalized therapies. By analyzing patient data and genetic profiles, AI-driven systems can help identify biomarkers, optimize dosage, and predict patient treatment responses. This precision improves treatment outcomes, enhances safety, minimizes adverse reactions, and supports the move toward personalized medicine. In doing so, AI is shaping a new era in healthcare, where therapies are designed with the individual in mind.

With that panelist Sanghita Bhattacharya commented “My experiences have shown that AI has immense potential to accelerate clinical trials—from identifying the most suitable sites and patient populations to bringing treatments to patients faster. By enabling us to reach underrepresented groups, AI can help make clinical trials an integral part of patient care.” 

Q & A Session

During the Question-and-Answer session, audience questions addressed advancing or starting a career within the field of AI. Our panel shared some key takeaways:

  • It’s an exciting field be curious. Be flexible. 
  • Don’t be comfortable. Prepare for change and always keep adapting and learning.
  • Prepare for failures along the way, it’s OK to fail as you always learn something. 
  • Keep on learning! It’s not all about your grades for those still in school.

Whether using Copilot, LLaMA, or other AI powered tools, be ready for continuous advancements in AI capabilities, as these systems evolve rapidly adapting to diverse professional and creative needs. Staying updated with these changes can empower users to leverage AI tools more effectively, optimizing workflows and fostering innovation across various industries.

Hear From Our Attendees In-Person and Online

In speaking with our in-person audience member Karina Castellani, Senior Pharmaceutical Executive, Commercial Development, shared "An aha moment for me came from the discussion on how many potential drug candidates failed along the development process and did not reach phase 3 trials and commercial launch. With the new capabilities that AI and machine learning bring in terms of speed and volume in data processing, new skills emerge as we need to be able to ask, the right question to these systems."

One online audience member Sara Renaud, Government of Canada commented “From the ability to look at old data and shelved compounds to ensuring consistency and quality in current clinical trials, it feels like the possibilities for AI use in drug discovery are endless. This panel discussion on AI was a great opportunity to learn about how smart technology will improve drug discovery.”

Grateful Acknowledgment 

Our deepest gratitude to our Sponsor Beth Ann Murphy at Rutgers University, Master of Science and Business Program, with special thanks to her Audio-Visual, Catering, and Security teams and to our speakers for dedicating their time and sharing their expertise, transforming this program into a truly dynamic and inspiring event. 

Great appreciation to our HBA volunteers who worked tirelessly and who made this event possible including Anuradha Ganguly, Juliet Chin Hart, Toni Ajavon-Hartmann, Arlene Marie Karole, Nicola Keegan, Tonye Briggs Medley, Puja Patel, Kristine Tkacs, Quinnie Wong, Lisa Yates. 

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