AstraZeneca and the future of AI in medicine research.
At AstraZeneca, we harness artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced data analytics to shape the future of healthcare. By integrating these technologies into our research and development processes, we accelerate the discovery of new medicines and improve patient care for conditions including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, kidney disorders, respiratory and metabolic diseases, and rare conditions.
AI enables us to derive insights from vast amounts of medical data at an unprecedented pace. This allows us to understand diseases more quickly, identify new molecules with therapeutic potential faster, and develop treatment options that are better aligned with the needs of patients worldwide. [1] From analyzing genetic data to improving image analysis and optimizing clinical trials, AI enables us to translate new insights into effective therapies more quickly. [2]
Our scientists use advanced AI tools and techniques, including machine learning, to:
- Gain a better understanding of the diseases we aim to treat
- Identify new targets for novel medicines
- Predict which molecules to make and how to make them
- Better predict clinical success
- Pioneer new approaches in the clinic and beyond
- AI also enhances our ability to predict treatment outcomes with greater accuracy, allowing us to accelerate drug development while ensuring patient safety. [3]
Application of AI in healthcare: a case from the Netherlands
While AI plays a central role in our work globally, there are also local innovations that contribute to the global impact of AI integration in healthcare. In the Netherlands, AstraZeneca is collaborating with AI frontrunner DeepHealth, formerly known as Aidence, to improve the early detection of lung cancer. Every year, about 11,000 people die in the Netherlands as a result of lung cancer. With that, lung cancer accounts for almost a quarter of more than 46.000 bereavements as a result of cancer. Only one in four people diagnosed with lung cancer is alive five years after being diagnosed. This is due to the fact that the vast majority of patients, more than 80 per cent, have already advanced their disease at the time of diagnosis to stage III or stage IV; stages where curation is often no longer possible. There is a large unmet medical need to find, stop and treat lung cancer in earlier stages. In comparison, five-year survival is approximately 60 per cent when lung cancer is found in stage I.[1] The collaboration with DeepHealth uses advanced AI-driven image analysis to address this challenge.[2]
The AI software assists radiologists in identifying lung nodules on CT scans with greater speed and precision, improving early detection of potential lung cancer cases. This AI system provides radiologists with a “second pair of eyes” and can recognize lung abnormalities that might otherwise be missed. The algorithm assesses the size, type, and location of the nodules, offering clinicians valuable insights that assist them in making informed decisions about further investigations and treatment options.[3]
(AI-driven tool that supports clinicians in detecting IPN to induce a more accurate diagnosis)
This technology not only has the potential to speed up lung cancer diagnoses but also improves overall healthcare efficiency. By leveraging AI, unnecessary follow-up tests can be reduced while high-risk patients receive timely care. An additional application helps healthcare providers monitor patients with identified lung nodules according to clinical guidelines. This ensures continuous care optimization and prevents high-risk patients from being lost in follow-up.
The global future of AI in drug development
The impact of AI on healthcare is vast, and we are only at the beginning of what is possible. Rapid developments in AI technology have brought us into uncharted territory, and companies and regulators must work together to meet the new challenges posed. At AstraZeneca, we remain committed to ongoing investment in the latest AI technologies and data science, which are essential for enabling scientific breakthroughs. Our principles will empower us and our partners to navigate this new environment safely and effectively. By encouraging innovation and evolution while maintaining our values, they provide a long-term ethical foundation to uphold our AI governance.
In 2020, we engaged a diverse range of experts both inside and outside AstraZeneca to develop principles for ethical data and AI aligned with our Code of Ethics and values. These principles work for patients and employees, enabling AstraZeneca to make a positive contribution to society. Our scientists use AI not only for better diagnoses and treatments but also to enhance the efficiency of our R&D process, enabling us to develop and deliver life-changing medicines more rapidly.
Our global commitment to AI is focused on improving overall health, accelerating the treatment of serious diseases, and optimizing the patient care experience worldwide. By integrating AI technologies into our global processes, we aim for a future where healthcare is faster, more affordable, and more effective, with patients everywhere gaining access to better treatment options.
With the power of AI and data science, we continue to push the boundaries of science and build a future where diseases are diagnosed earlier, treatments are more effective, and the overall health of people worldwide is improved.
If you want to learn more about AstraZeneca’s work, visit our website.
Source of information
[1] AstraZeneca. (z.d.). Data science and AI. Geraadpleegd op 13 november 2024, van https://www.astrazeneca.com/r-d/data-science-and-ai.html
[2] AstraZeneca. (z.d.). Data and AI ethics. Geraadpleegd op 13 november 2024, van https://www.astrazeneca.com/sustainability/ethics-and-transparency/data-and-ai-ethics.html
[3] AstraZeneca. (z.d.). Data science and AI. Geraadpleegd op 13 november 2024, van https://www.astrazeneca.com/r-d/data-science-and-ai.html
[4] Luyendijk, M., Visser, O., Blommestein, H. M., & anderen. (2023). Changes in survival in de novo metastatic cancer in an era of new medicines. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 115(7), 628–635, Geraadpleegd op 13 november 2024.
[5] AstraZeneca. (z.d.). Over ons. Geraadpleegd op 16 november 2024, van https://www.astrazeneca.nl/over-ons.html
[6] Aidence. (z.d.). Pinpoint. Geraadpleegd op 18 november 2024, van https://www.aidence.com/pinpoint/ [7] Aidence. (z.d.). Pinpoint. Geraadpleegd op 18 november 2024, van https://www.aidence.com/pinpoint/
[8] How data and AI are helping unlock the secrets of disease. Geraadpleegd op 16 november 2024, van https://www.astrazeneca.com/what-science-can-do/topics/data-science-ai/how-data-and-ai-are-helping-unlock-the-secrets-of-disease.html
[9] Data science and AI. Geraadpleegd op 18 november 2024, van https://www.astrazeneca.com/r-d/data-science-and-ai.html
[10] AstraZeneca. (z.d.). Our company. Geraadpleegd op 18 november 2024, van https://www.astrazeneca.com/our-company.html
[11] AstraZeneca. (z.d.). Biologics discovery. Geraadpleegd op 18 november 2024, van https://www.astrazeneca.com/what-science-can-do/topics/data-science-ai/biologics-discovery.html
