Innovation in Biotech and AI

Nikhil Pradhan, senior counsel in Foley & Lardner’s IP department, discusses the outlook for innovation in biotech and artificial intelligence (AI). The promise of AI is being realized for applications from drug discovery to precision medicine to overcoming biases in traditional health care protocols. At the same time, it is useful to recognize the complexity of health care solutions from both technology and human perspectives. No single enterprise will be able to provide an end-to-end solution, and new approaches that place data privacy and ownership first will be paramount.

Nikhil highlights three key ways in which biotech and the way we think about data will intersect and evolve:

First, companies that manage data from clinical trials and other testing and validation will increase in importance. For example, when it comes to drug discovery, it will be critical for the results of trials to be fed back into the models to drive toward outcomes that are more likely to be successful in trials and beyond.
Second, companies need to understand who really owns patient data so that they can negotiate for new ways of using data that are consistent with their business goals and the goals of their partners and other stakeholders. This could result in a mix of legal solutions in how agreements are negotiated and technology solutions for implementing data protection. This balance between accessibility and confidentiality will be the cornerstone of future data sharing endeavors.
Finally, we may see the development of anonymized data sharing pools, allowing seamless collaboration between research entities, pharmaceutical firms, and health systems.

Altogether, these trends are pointing in the direction of faster, more precise drug development and lower-cost health care. There are significant opportunities for new players and innovations to emerge.

Disclaimer

This blog is made available by Foley & Lardner LLP (“Foley” or “the Firm”) for informational purposes only. It is not meant to convey the Firm’s legal position on behalf of any client, nor is it intended to convey specific legal advice. Any opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Foley & Lardner LLP, its partners, or its clients. Accordingly, do not act upon this information without seeking counsel from a licensed attorney. This blog is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. Communicating with Foley through this website by email, blog post, or otherwise, does not create an attorney-client relationship for any legal matter. Therefore, any communication or material you transmit to Foley through this blog, whether by email, blog post or any other manner, will not be treated as confidential or proprietary. The information on this blog is published “AS IS” and is not guaranteed to be complete, accurate, and or up-to-date. Foley makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, as to the operation or content of the site. Foley expressly disclaims all other guarantees, warranties, conditions and representations of any kind, either express or implied, whether arising under any statute, law, commercial use or otherwise, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title and non-infringement. In no event shall Foley or any of its partners, officers, employees, agents or affiliates be liable, directly or indirectly, under any theory of law (contract, tort, negligence or otherwise), to you or anyone else, for any claims, losses or damages, direct, indirect special, incidental, punitive or consequential, resulting from or occasioned by the creation, use of or reliance on this site (including information and other content) or any third party websites or the information, resources or material accessed through any such websites. In some jurisdictions, the contents of this blog may be considered Attorney Advertising. If applicable, please note that prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Photographs are for dramatization purposes only and may include models. Likenesses do not necessarily imply current client, partnership or employee status.