AstraZeneca plc (ADR) (NYSE:AZN) has revealed that it is working with a US biology and technology firm called Berg in a joint effort that seeks to treat neurological disorders through artificial intelligence.
The latest venture highlights the UK-based drug maker as the latest firm to venture into AI. The partnership will work towards using AI to find new treatments for neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. The company has particularly been keen on adopting such technology as the industry works towards shortening the cycle that it takes to introduce a new treatment into the market. The process is long and expensive affair that can take as much as 12 years with costs going to the tune of billions.
“2017 has really been the year when AI has been taken seriously and we are now seeing early signs of adoption and implementation in the broader industry,” stated Berg CEO, Niven Narain.
As part of their partnership, AstraZeneca will provide chemical fragments that Berg will use to carry out research for the potential drug candidates. Neither of the two firms disclosed the financial terms of their partnership agreement. One of the main advantages of the partnerships is that the concept of using AI is not new especially to Berg. The latter’s scientists have already used AI technology to determine biological targets for new treatments.
They achieved the feat by carrying out a detailed comparison of data from tissue samples obtained from diseased as well as healthy individuals. The partnership will allow Astrazeneca the right to secure an exclusive right to any of the treatments that will result from their joint research.
The new partnership also means AstraZeneca has joined the league of drug manufacturers that also carry out drug research through AI, courtesy of such partnerships with startups. The aim of such partnerships is to use AI and modern computing systems to come up with predictive models of how molecules behave. It also allows these companies to determine the likelihood of making a useful treatment.
AstraZeneca stock closed the latest trading session on Monday at $29.44 after a 0.68 percent gain compared to the value of the stock at the previous close.
