ML Platform to Speed Drug Matching Analysis

Following collaboration with the Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation (HNCDI) under its EXCELERATE project, REPROCELL has now introduced a machine learning (ML) platform that simplifies and accelerates the analysis of big data from drug development studies.

Pharmacology-AI, one of the first projects to be delivered under the EXCELERATE scheme, enabled via a partnership between the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Hartree Centre and IBM, will help researchers identify which inter-individual differences have the largest influence on drug response or related clinical outcomes. This could lead to clinical trials that are more successful and less costly, through identification of patient populations most likely to benefit from new drugs much earlier in the drug development process. The software can also be used to reveal why some patients respond to commonly prescribed drugs, while others gain little or no benefit.

“Pharmacology-AI is unique in its ability to quickly reveal the genomic or clinical features driving drug response,” said Graeme Macluskie, Director of Precision Medicine at REPROCELL. “We’re excited to see what insights the platform can offer to clients developing early-stage precision medicine strategies.”

Clinical and drug response data is challenging to process via machine learning due to its high dimensionality,” said Peter Waggett, Director of Research at IBM. “IBM and STFC have worked closely with REPROCELL to develop the Pharmacology-AI platform, where new insights from pharmacological data are revealed to human experts through the application of explainable AI methods. We are delighted to be delivering on our commitment to support UK organisations via the HNCDI programme, applying our advanced AI technology to accelerate scientific discoveries.

“This project is just one example of how artificial intelligence can be used to generate long-term societal and economic impact,” said Professor Kate Royse, Director of STFC Hartree Centre. “The benefits of machine learning are not just limited to the technology sector and could help many different industries across the UK,” she added.

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