AstraZeneca CEO says AI is reshaping drug development — and helping boost the odds of success

AstraZeneca CEO says AI is reshaping drug development — and helping boost the odds of success

AstraZeneca CEO says AI is reshaping drug development — and helping boost the odds of success

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/05/astrazeneca-ceo-says-ai-is-reshaping-drug-development-and-helping-boost-the-odds-of-success.html

Publish Date: 2026-06-05 18:26:00

Source Domain: www.cnbc.com

  • AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot stated that artificial intelligence (AI) is aiding drugmakers in developing medicines more efficiently and guiding smarter choices in the research process.
  • Soriot highlighted AI’s role in improving productivity by expediting and optimizing the design of new drugs during the research process.
  • AI is reportedly aiding AstraZeneca in drug discovery and development, from identifying new therapeutic targets to enhancing the design of potential drugs and eliminating potential side effects.
  • Through a partnership with Tempus AI, AstraZeneca utilizes AI models to analyze comprehensive data, thereby improving drug discovery and maximizing the likelihood of success in late-stage trials.
  • Soriot emphasized that AI helps in making better decisions about which drugs to advance, which can significantly boost the probability of success in pivotal Phase 3 trials. This could lead to substantial productivity improvements due to the high costs of these trials — mentioned to be between $300 million to $500 million.