USA – Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly has taken a significant step in the battle against drug-resistant pathogens by forming a strategic partnership with OpenAI, a leader in generative artificial intelligence (genAI).
This collaboration aims to develop new treatments for microbial infections, specifically targeting the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The partnership leverages OpenAI’s cutting-edge technology to accelerate the discovery and development of novel drugs.
While specific details of the collaboration remain undisclosed, the initiative signals a promising development in the fight against microbial resistance, a critical global health issue.
Eli Lilly joins a list of pharmaceutical companies, including Sanofi and Moderna, that have embraced AI to transform drug development and healthcare innovation.
Growing industry adoption of AI in pharma
Eli Lilly’s partnership with OpenAI follows a series of similar collaborations within the pharmaceutical industry.
Sanofi recently announced its partnership with Formation Bio and OpenAI to accelerate drug discovery.
Similarly, Moderna has incorporated OpenAI’s technology into its internal messaging platform, “mChat,” to enhance data analytics and support drug development processes, including dose selection.
The utilization of AI in pharmaceutical research is a growing trend, with companies increasingly turning to AI platforms to streamline drug development, reduce costs, and enhance the effectiveness of treatments.
Eli Lilly’s commitment to antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
Eli Lilly’s collaboration with OpenAI builds on the company’s ongoing commitment to addressing AMR.
In the past, Eli Lilly contributed US $100 million to the AMR Action Fund, a global initiative aimed at developing new antibiotics to combat drug-resistant infections.
The fund aims to bring two to four new antibiotics to market by 2030, particularly those that address the most dangerous pathogens.
Earlier this year, the AMR Action Fund backed Elion Therapeutics with US $81 million to support the development of a clinical-stage antifungal therapy, and has previously supported other biotech firms like Vedanta Biosciences, which raised US $106.5 million to advance its pipeline of bacterial consortia therapies.
The urgent need for novel antibiotics
Antimicrobial resistance is a rapidly escalating global public health crisis. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1.27 million deaths in 2019 were directly linked to resistant infections.
Despite this growing threat, no major breakthroughs in antibiotic development have occurred in over 50 years, largely due to the lack of financial incentives for manufacturers to invest in new drugs.
Traditional methods of discovering antibiotics are time-consuming and costly. The integration of AI technology into the research process, however, offers a new approach to expedite drug discovery and improve accuracy, potentially leading to faster and more effective treatments.
AI’s role in combating global health crises
AI has already demonstrated its potential in combating global health crises, including the ongoing fight against pandemics and antimicrobial resistance.
AI technology can analyze vast datasets, identify potential drug candidates more efficiently, and predict how bacteria might evolve resistance to new treatments.
This allows researchers to stay ahead in the race to develop effective solutions to the growing threat of AMR.
Eli Lilly’s Chief Digital Officer, Diogo Rau, emphasized the importance of AI in this effort, stating, “Generative AI opens a new opportunity to accelerate the discovery of novel antimicrobials and the development of custom, purpose-built technologies in the battle against drug-resistant pathogens.”
Global Efforts to address antimicrobial resistance
To further bolster the fight against AMR, researchers from the Oxford Martin Program on Antimicrobial Resistance Testing at the University of Oxford have made significant strides in developing a rapid antimicrobial susceptibility test.
The test, which can return results within 30 minutes, uses AI to analyze bacterial cell images, offering a quicker and more accurate alternative to traditional methods.
This breakthrough could revolutionize how doctors prescribe antibiotics, reducing the misuse of antibiotics and slowing the rise of AMR.
The development of AI-based tools for rapid diagnostics and precision treatments is seen as a crucial step in overcoming the challenges posed by resistant infections.
