Season 2: Episode 1, Deep Dive on AI in Pharma with Dave Latshaw

Pharmaverse Podcast

We are thrilled to be bringing you our very first episode of season 2!! Thank you to all our longtime subscribers, and everyone who has been following along as we have grown this podcast!
In today’s episode of the Pharmaverse podcast, host Michael Pietrack interviews Dave Latshaw PHD, MBA, the brilliant CEO and co-founder of BioPhy, about the transformative role of AI in drug discovery and development. They discuss the differences between predictive and generative AI, the impact of AI on jobs in the pharmaceutical industry, and the future applications of AI in drug development. Michael asks Dave the question on everyone’s mind, "Is AI going to eliminate a lot of jobs?" While Dave mentioned that many will loose jobs, he believes the Pharma sector will not experience this on a large scale, and that those that learn to utilize AI as an intern or sorts, will find a lot of success. “Think of AI as an intern.” Latshaw shares insights from his career journey, including his transition at Johnson & Johnson to deciding to go out on his own and found BioPhy, and emphasizes the importance of understanding the unique challenges and opportunities within the pharma sector. There is SO much to learn in this episode, please comment below and share your thoughts with us!
Key Moments:
💻 AI is a powerful tool in drug discovery and development.
👩‍💻👨‍💻Generative AI and predictive AI are fundamentally similar.
📝AI will not eliminate jobs in the pharmaceutical industry.
⚙ The complexity of human health requires human oversight in AI applications.
💉AI can help identify new uses for existing drugs.
🤵Regulatory bodies will play a crucial role in AI integration.
🏥 AI's impact on productivity in drug development is significant.
🤝 Companies are more likely to partner for AI solutions than build in-house.
Understanding the specific problems AI can solve is key to its adoption.
❓The journey from corporate to startup can lead to greater impact.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to AI in Drug Discovery
02:54 Understanding AI: Predictive vs Generative
05:56 AI's Impact on Jobs in Pharma
08:58 Current and Future Applications of AI in Pharma
12:03 The Role of Regulators in AI Integration
15:15 Identifying Opportunities in Shelved Drugs
17:48 Differentiating AI Solutions in Pharma
21:00 Dave Latshaw's Journey from J&J to BioFi
24:09 Navigating Challenges in the Pharma Industry