CREATION.co

Healthcare professionals are optimistic about AI’s transformative potential in pharma

18.12.2024 | Health Strategy

Healthcare professionals are optimistic about AI’s transformative potential in pharma

Overview 

A study of healthcare professionals’ posts on social media indicates that they are increasingly optimistic about AI’s transformative potential in the pharmaceutical sector. Their online discussions highlight AI’s critical role in accelerating drug discovery, enhancing diagnostic precision, and improving patient outcomes. High-profile collaborations, such as Novo Nordisk with Nvidia and Isomorphic Labs with Eli Lilly & Novartis, underscore the power of partnerships in driving AI innovation.

Key topics shared by HCPs in their social media conversations include AI’s application in rare disease screening, paediatric care and cardiology, where it is enabling safer, more equitable and efficient healthcare solutions. There seems to be a positive consensus: AI is becoming a cornerstone of the industry, poised to reshape research, clinical care and patient impact. At the same time, HCPs mention the continued challenge of ensuring these advances are implemented ethically and effectively to translate AI’s promise into measurable value for patients and the healthcare system.

AI is revolutionizing healthcare

HCPs post about how cutting-edge AI technologies are revolutionizing healthcare, from drug discovery to the delivery of care. Collaborations between major pharmaceutical companies and AI firms are paving the way for innovative solutions in accelerating drug development and improving patient outcomes. A post by Dr Eric Topol in November, 2024, highlighted the opportunity between Novo Nordisk, Nvidia and the Danish Centre for AI on the world’s largest super computer with the stated aim of improving outcomes for patients.

AI is driving healthcare innovation

The integration of AI in healthcare is enhancing diagnostic accuracy, treatment planning, and patient care. AI-powered tools are streamlining processes, enabling faster disease detection, and providing valuable insights for clinicians and researchers. A post by Dr Gaurav Singal, an internal medicine physician based in Boston, MA, is typical of the sentiment shared by HCPs with optimism for the benefits of AI in screening for rare diseases.

AI’s role in reshaping healthcare is evident through collaborations focusing on drug discovery, disease detection, and treatment advancements. Several leading pharmaceutical companies, including Roche, are leveraging AI to drive innovation, improve patient care, and accelerate the development of life-saving drugs, marking a new era in healthcare. An example of this is provided in a post by Dr Akturk’s post, who is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Colorado. Dr Akturk highlighted the machine learning use case made by Roche in their continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) offering for patients. 

Another example of how AI has been sparking conversations among HCPs on social media is in the way it can help make sense of a lot of patient data. A post from Berci Meskó PhD, who describes himself as ‘The Medical Futurist’,  where he shares the hope that it will help front line clinicians, including primary care doctors, cope with ever increasing workloads reached a significant amount of HCPs.

AI collaboration in medical research and treatment

Advancements in AI are reshaping the landscape of medical research and drug discovery. Collaborations between AI companies and pharmaceutical giants are driving innovation, accelerating the identification of new drug candidates, and revolutionizing treatment approaches. Dr Ivancevich’s post highlights one of many collaboration announcements on AI in the field of drug development and exploration, such as Sanofi with OpenAI in this particular post.

The topic of collaboration with OpenAI and other leading innovators and top pharmaceutical companies was very crowded, with several announcements over the time period of our research. Examples include Lilly’s announcement of collaboration with OpenAI in June 2024, when it joined Sanofi and Moderna. However, there was less interest from HCPs specifically to these announcements than perhaps some had expected, indicating perhaps a slight saturation by the HCP community to the plethora of announcements. Some HCPs highlighted the need for appropriate ethical guidelines and oversight of some of these innovative, yet unproven, collaborations. Tom Welton, for example, who is president of the Society of Radiographers, shared that risks must be monitored and mitigated where possible.

AI in biopharma collaborations

The intersection of AI and biopharma is leading to groundbreaking collaborations that leverage AI algorithms to expedite drug discovery processes. These partnerships are unlocking new possibilities in developing novel therapeutics and addressing unmet medical needs. Steven Blumer MD, Americas Director, Radiology Digital Medical Affairs at Bayer, highlighted the opportunities in the paediatric treatment area sharing that there are opportunities to increase safety, and equitable, reliable AI in children’s care specifically referencing his employer’s interest in collaborating with the FDA to further expand the opportunities of AI in this clinical area.

When Demis Hassabis, Chief Executive Officer of DeepMind Technologies, posted an announcement about the collaboration between Eli Lilly, Novartis and Google DeepMind’s spin off Isomorphic Labs, some HCPs were very enthusiastic.  Dr Mindaugas Galvosas, for example, reflected his view that such collaborations will lead to significant breakthroughs being achieved more efficiently.

 

Summary

As AI continues to transform healthcare, it’s clear that HCPs will play an essential part in shaping the future. As with any pharmaceutical innovation, for companies investing into AI, understanding the views of HCPs who are on the front lines of patient care can make all the difference when it comes to adoption of new ideas.

To learn how CREATION.co can help you understand the voice of HCPs on social media, get in touch.

 

Share this article

Meet the Author

Bernard Groen

Bernard has worked in the NHS for nearly 15 years, culminating in a national role as Head of Data Management at NHS England/HEE. Additionally, Bernard worked at Accenture as Consulting Manager leading several large projects across a variety of public sector organisations. Bernard holds a doctoral degree and is a visiting research fellow at Durham University, and an associate professorship at UNICAF University.

Bernard loves spending time outdoors with family hiking, or on a road bike - going fast!