AI

An artificial intelligence (AI) is better than specialist doctors at diagnosing lung cancer, according to a study from researchers at Google and Northwestern University in Illinois.

While not yet ready for clinical use, it is hoped that the technology will boost the effectiveness of cancer screening in the future.

The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, outlines a deep learning algorithm that is able to predict a patient’s risk of lung cancer.

Merck KGaA and artificial intelligence (AI) firm Iktos have entered into a partnership, the pair have announced, to leverage the latter’s generative modelling AI technology in a bid to “facilitate the rapid and cost-effective discovery and design of promising new compounds”.

The firm’s AI technology, which is based on “deep generative models”, promises to “bring speed and efficiency to the drug discovery process” by quickly singling out molecules which satisfy the requirements of multiple bioactivity and drug-like criteria for clinical testing.

We’re slowly edging towards warmer months, but the New Year brings more than just the promise of more amicable weather; in a manner reminiscent of past years, industry M&A is off to an explosive start, as multinational drug firm Bristol-Myers Squibb announced within the first days of the year that it had entered into an agreement to acquire Celgene for approximately $74 billion – the biggest pharma acquisition ever.

Japanese pharma and biotech firm Kyowa Hakko Kirin is joining the growing trend of investing in artificial intelligence to bolster drug discovery efforts, entering a new partnership with AI and machine learning firm InveniAI.

KHK hopes to utilise InveniAI’s AlphaMeld technology to discover how its existing pipeline products can be applied to other indications.

While the exact financial details of the deal were not disclosed, it was confirmed that an upfront sum will be paid to InveniAI, as well as a number of development and commercialisation payments.

A new partnership between the UK and Japan will see medical researchers and scientists join forces, in advancing research into chronic conditions - such as diabetes, heart disease and arthritis - green technology and AI.

The collaboration, announced by British Prime Minister Theresa May, Business Secretary Greg Clark and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, will see £30 million invested into a new partnership aimed at promoting technology and innovation in both Britain and Japan.

The UK’s Business Secretary has announced the introduction of five specialist collaborative centres across the UK which with leverage advanced digital technology to improve healthcare and reach diagnosis earlier.

The five centres of excellence for digital pathology and imaging, which will be situated at universities and NHS facilities in Leeds, Oxford, Coventry, Glasgow and London, will aim to provide more personalised and precision care for patients by utilising medical technology to provide targeted care and free up time for clinical professionals.

Business, biosimilars and Brexit are the themes of this week’s top 10. While Roche signed a $1 billion deal with SQZ Biotech, MSD’s and Samsung Bioepis’ deal fell through. Meanwhile Pfizer announced a cull of 2% of its staff amid a widespread restructuring.

British MPs questioned the first robot to ever attend a UK parliamentary meeting this month, after a robot called Pepper offered insight into the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The robot told MPs that “Assistive intelligent robots for older people could relieve pressure on hospitals and care homes as well as improve the care delivery at home and promote independent living for the elderly people.”