Novartis and Microsoft have inked a five-year deal to use artificial intelligence to design molecules, personalize medication dosing, and optimize the manufacturing of CAR-T cancer therapy, the two companies announced Tuesday.
The partnership, whose financial terms were not disclosed, marks the latest and one of the more high-profile signs of the inroads that tech is making into drug development. It promises benefits for both sides: Novartis will get Microsoft’s help in mining data in search of insights that could help it save and make money, while Microsoft will get a chance to refine its own software for use in the life sciences.
Executives at both companies credit the deal to the vision of Novartis’ young CEO Vas Narasimhan, who has vowed to turn the Swiss drug maker, which traces its roots back more than 250 years, into a “medicines and data science company.”
About the Author Reprints
To submit a correction request, please visit our Contact Us page.
STAT encourages you to share your voice. We welcome your commentary, criticism, and expertise on our subscriber-only platform, STAT+ Connect