Merck and Mayo Clinic are partnering to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and patient data to support the discovery and development of new treatments, the companies announced yesterday. This new partnership combines Merck’s AI and machine learning (ML) research capabilities with Mayo’s platform infrastructure and vast clinical datasets.
The AI partnership aims to improve Merck’s early research decisions and expand its clinical pipeline by combining Merck’s AI-powered virtual cell technology with the Mayo Clinic platform, which integrates data from Mayo Clinic facilities in the U.S. and its international partners.
“By combining the Mayo Clinic platform’s de-identified data, clinical expertise and platform technology with Merck’s world-class research and development capabilities, we are poised to accelerate transformative breakthroughs for patients and redefine drug development,” Gianrico Farrugia, MD, president and CEO of Mayo Clinic, said in a joint press release.
Merck will use Mayo’s platform to analyze various types of data, including anonymous clinical information, test results, images, clinical records, molecular data, and biobanks, with the help of AI/ML tools. The pharmaceutical giant will also gain access to Mayo Clinic’s Platform Orchestrate, which will give Merck direct access to Mayo Clinic’s scientific team and enable it to scale analytical solutions across its research programs.
This expanded data insight could enhance Merck’s ability to determine which early-stage programs are worth moving forward.
Robert M. Davis, Merck’s chairman and chief executive officer, also said in a statement: “New cutting-edge technologies enhance our ability to innovate with the potential to bring important new treatments to patients more quickly.” “By collaborating with Mayo Clinic, we aim to integrate high-quality clinical data and AI-powered insights into discovery research to improve target identification and ultimately increase the probability of program success.”
The two companies have collaborated many times in the past, but Mayo Clinic says this is the first time it has partnered with a major pharmaceutical company on this scale.
According to a press release, the partnership will initially target three high-need therapeutic areas: gastroenterology, dermatology, and neurology, with a particular focus on inflammatory bowel disease, atopic dermatitis, and multiple sclerosis. These areas were chosen because they have the potential to benefit from integrative analysis and multimodal approaches, with the aim of developing more tailored and effective treatments, Merck said.
Like Merck, other major pharmaceutical companies are increasing their investments in AI-powered drug discovery.
Last month, Eli Lilly partnered with Nvidia to invest $1 billion in a new AI lab to accelerate drug discovery using Nvidia’s BioNeMo platform and next-generation Vera Rubin architecture.
Novartis, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Johnson & Johnson are also ramping up their use of AI, a sign that the entire industry is moving into AI-powered research and development.
Alivia Kaylor is a scientist and senior site editor at Pharma Life Sciences.
