Allan Gabor, president of Merck KGaA China and executive vice president of Merck Electronics, shared his insights on the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and biomedicine industry in China during the BEYOND Expo. Gabor highlighted Merck’s strategic focus on leveraging AI to enhance drug discovery and development processes.
AI in Drug Discovery and Development
According to Gabor, Merck’s scientists recognize AI’s potential to analyze pre-clinical data and literature for drug discovery and biomarker identification. AI is viewed as a key digital strategy to unlock significant benefits for medicinal R&D, particularly in compound optimization, molecule and compound testing, and processing.
Key Areas of AI Involvement
Merck’s involvement in the AI field includes several key areas:
- Compound Screening: Merck is using AI to screen millions of drug candidates to save time and optimize the drug discovery and manufacturing process.
- Organs-on-a-Chip Solutions: The company is experimenting with Organs-on-a-Chip solutions, moving from in-vivo to in-vitro and applying AI and complex algorithms to process the large amounts of data generated.
- AI-Driven Discovery Platforms: In China, Merck was a launch partner of Insilico’s AI-platform Chemistry 42, a groundbreaking, AI-powered small molecule discovery platform.
- Innovative Computer Architectures: Merck is actively involved in innovating existing computer architectures and applying innovative materials to enable new semiconductors and technologies needed to support AI’s application in healthcare, including critical materials for Neuromorphic chips and quantum computing.
- Investment in Electronics Business: Merck China is significantly increasing its investment in the Electronics business, with at least RMB 1 billion ($140 million) earmarked for the unit before 2025, focusing on the chip manufacturing industry.
Future Outlook
Gabor’s comments underscore Merck’s commitment to integrating AI into its R&D and manufacturing processes, aiming to drive innovation and efficiency in the biomedicine industry. The substantial investment in the Electronics business further highlights Merck’s strategic focus on supporting the growth of AI technologies in healthcare.-Fineline Info & Tech
