From Algorithms to Assets: AI in Drug Discovery & Development

AI is reshaping parts of drug discovery—but its real impact remains uneven, and the path forward is more complex than most narratives suggest.

Based on an off-the-record roundtable with senior leaders spanning pharma, biotech, and venture capital, this white paper examines where AI is already delivering tangible value, where it continues to fall short, and why validation, data quality, and business models—not algorithms—are now the true constraints.

Rather than predicting a near-term revolution, the discussion surfaces a more nuanced picture: meaningful gains in early discovery and efficiency, rising expectations from investors and pharma partners, structural limits inside large organisations, and a frontier that holds promise but has not yet reached its “floodgate moment.”

This paper is for founders, investors, and pharma leaders who want a clear-eyed view of how AI is actually being used today—and what must change before it can reliably translate into new biology, clinical insight, and durable value creation.