Simplifying AI data analysis for scientists – as REPROCELL, IBM and STFC Hartree Centre successfully launch Pharmacology-AI platform

01 June 2023, Glasgow, UK and Daresbury, UK: REPROCELL today announces the launch of a new commercial service, Pharmacology-AI. The launch follows the completion of one of the first EXCELERATE projects, by the Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation (HNCDI), via a partnership between the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Hartree Centre and IBM. Through EXCELERATE, REPROCELL has collaborated with HNCDI to create a machine learning (ML) platform that simplifies and accelerates the analysis of big data from drug development studies.

The ground-breaking platform will be used by REPROCELL to help researchers identify which inter-individual differences have the largest influence on drug response or related clinical outcomes. Conventional analysis of big data can be very time-consuming and require significant expertise; Pharmacology-AI simplifies the task. It is hoped the service will enable Pharma to design clinical trials that are more successful and less costly, by identifying patient populations most likely to benefit from new drugs much earlier in the drug development process. The software can also be used to reveal why some patients respond to commonly prescribed drugs, while others gain little or no benefit.

“Pharmacology-AI is unique in its ability to quickly reveal the genomic or clinical features driving drug response,” said Graeme Macluskie, Director of Precision Medicine at REPROCELL. “We’re excited to see what insights the platform can offer to clients developing early-stage precision medicine strategies.”

Clinical and drug response data is challenging to process via machine learning due to its high dimensionality,” said Peter Waggett, Director of Research at IBM. “IBM and STFC have worked closely with REPROCELL to develop the Pharmacology-AI platform, where new insights from pharmacological data are revealed to human experts through the application of explainable AI methods. We are delighted to be delivering on our commitment to support UK organisations via the HNCDI programme, applying our advanced AI technology to accelerate scientific discoveries.

“This project is just one example of how artificial intelligence can be used to generate long-term societal and economic impact,” said Professor Kate Royse, Director of STFC Hartree Centre. “The benefits of machine learning are not just limited to the technology sector and could help many different industries across the UK,” she continued.

If you would like to learn more about Pharmacology-AI, you can find information about this service on the REPROCELL website.

About REPROCELL Europe Ltd: REPROCELL Europe is a leading UK life sciences company with facilities in Glasgow and Sedgefield, Co. Durham. REPROCELL Europe was created from the merger of two UK companies, Biopta Ltd and Reinnervate Ltd, which offer specialist products and services to accelerate drug discovery and development. REPROCELL Europe is a subsidiary of REPROCELL Inc. Japan, the world’s leading stem cell research and human tissue contract research organization. REPROCELL Europe Ltd provides translational research and clinical trial support to clients across the globe, including the top pharma and biotech companies.

About IBM Research: IBM Research is a group of scientists, technologists, designers, and thinkers inventing what’s next in computing. We’re relentlessly curious about all the ways that computing can change the world. We’re currently obsessed with advancing the state of the art in AI and hybrid cloud, and defining the future of quantum computing. We’ve been at the forefront of the computing revolution from the start: Our researchers have played a role in some of the most important advancements in technology, from the hard drive and the floppy disk to mainframes and the personal computer. Since our first lab opened in 1945, we’ve authored more than 110,000 research publications. Our researchers have won six Nobel Prizes, six Turing Awards, and IBM has been granted more than 150,000 patents. Learn more about IBM Research.

About STFC Hartree Centre: The Hartree Centre helps UK businesses and organisations of any size to explore and adopt innovative supercomputing, big data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for enhanced productivity, smarter innovation and economic growth. Backed by significant UK Government funding and strategic industry partnerships, the Hartree Centre is home to some of the most advanced digital technologies and experts in the UK. As part of the Science and Technology Facilities Council and UK Research and Innovation, the Hartree Centre builds on a wealth of established scientific heritage and a network of international expertise, helping the UK to stay at the forefront of pioneering computational science and digital innovation.