When the experts meet: (From left) Mohd Nazlee, Prof Lee, Prof Chee and Mranti head of life sciences, Dr Hazwan Mohd Daut discuss the role of AI in enhancing drug development at the I-Nation Global Summit 2004 in Kuala Lumpur. — ART CHEN/The Star
Success rates of new drug development can be improved, says expert
KUALA LUMPUR: Artificial intelligence (AI) could play a key role in improving drug and vaccine development, according to a panel of experts.
Prof Dr Chee Onn Leong, founder and CEO of AGTC Genomics, said AI has the potential to substantially improve the success rates of new drug development compared to traditional methods.
“AI will help us to accelerate this process and, to a certain extent, simulate the (effects and efficacy of) drugs before they enter into preclinical and postclinical studies,” he said.
This approach could reduce risks by enabling researchers to assess drug efficacy better and minimise the likelihood of toxicity in human clinical trials, according to Prof Chee, one of the panellists on the second day of the I-Nation Global Summit 2024.
The annual summit is a flagship event of the Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (Mranti) to foster innovation, collaboration and impactful socio-economic change.
Another panellist for the “Artificial Intelligence and Drug Discovery: A Game Changer?” session, Prof Dr Vannajan Lee, head of the Quantum Information Science and Technology Centre of Excellence at Universiti Malaya, highlighted that AI advancements could contribute significantly to cancer research.
She added that AI simulations can even account for the pH value – a measurement for acidity or alkalinity – and temperature in the human body, allowing for more precise predictions of treatments under various conditions.
Datuk Dr Mohd Nazlee Kamal, CEO of Solution Group Bhd, said AI could help shorten the approval time for new drugs.
“When we submit a dossier for regulatory approval, they will say it takes 18 months for approval, and to us, 18 months is a very long time,” he said, adding this is likely due to the need to vet thousands of documents and ensure they pose no risks to the public.
He said the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is making inroads in using AI to evaluate biologics and drugs, noting that AI will benefit new areas such as cell and gene therapy.
Earlier in the day, Capital A CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes’ opening keynote touched on sustainability, emphasising reconsidering what can make a real difference.
“Electric cars are great, but where does the power come from? If you’re getting electricity from a coal power plant, that’s a problem, right?
“Sustainability is important, but governments need to think about what makes a difference and not just blindly follow the West,” he said.
Fernandes added climate change and extreme weather are real problems that must be addressed.
“Sustainability is not just about carbon emissions. We’ve got to protect our environment,” he said.
