AI’s Role in Drug Launches, Operations, and Drug Pricing: Q&A with Abid Rahman

Abid Rahman
Senior vice president
of innovation
EVERSANA

Over the past year, AI-powered technology has become more and more commonplace across the pharmaceutical industry. Abid Rahman, senior vice president of innovation at EVERSANA, spoke with Pharmaceutical Executive about some of the various sectors where the technology has been introduced and how it has worked out.

Pharmaceutical Executive: How is AI being utilized for product launches?
Abid Rahman: Use cases for AI continue to evolve, but there are many ways this technology is currently being used for product launches in pharma.

First, AI leverages historical data and market trends to forecast a product’s potential success. By analyzing real-world and claims data, AI platforms provide valuable insights for informed decision-making.

Additionally, AI enhances branding campaigns by identifying new audience segments quickly and accurately. This allows for the development and deployment of tailored messaging and visuals at an unprecedented speed. Generative AI also assists in creating initial drafts of text and images for promotional materials, ensuring the right tone, and targeting.

And finally, AI plays a crucial role in disseminating information during a product launch. It helps identify patient and HCP audiences, select the appropriate channels, and create engaging content. AI-powered solutions include conversational chatbots, AI-generated videos with avatars, and other synthetic content to effectively connect with audiences.

PE: How important is it for pharma companies to incorporate AI into their operations?
Rahman: Incorporating AI into pharmaceutical operations is essential for companies aiming to stay competitive and innovative. AI has the potential to transform nearly every aspect of the pharmaceutical value chain, from drug discovery to manufacturing to commercialization.

• Accelerating drug discovery and development: AI can speed up identifying promising drug candidates, predicting their properties, and optimizing lead compounds, significantly reducing the time and cost of bringing new therapies to market.
• Improving clinical trials: AI enhances patient selection, optimizes trial design, and analyzes trial data more efficiently, leading to faster and more cost-effective clinical trials.
• Enhancing manufacturing and supply chain: AI optimizes production processes, predicts maintenance needs and improves supply chain management, increasing efficiency and reducing costs.
• Personalizing medicine: AI enables the analysis of large datasets to identify patient subgroups and tailor treatments, advancing precision medicine.
• Boosting commercial operations: AI helps create personalized marketing content, optimize sales strategies, and improve customer engagement.
• Increasing operational efficiency: AI automates routine tasks, streamlines workflows, and provides data-driven insights across various business functions.

Using AI to supplement operational tasks allows employees to focus on more impactful work. For example, AI can handle basic reporting functions and content development, which can then be reviewed by a team, saving time and resources.

It's crucial for pharmaceutical companies to ensure that all stakeholders, including legal, compliance, IT and operations, agree on the use of AI and that data privacy is always considered. When implemented effectively with proper checks and balances, AI can significantly drive operational efficiencies.

PE: What is the risk of AI replacing human workers?
Rahman: There are several areas to consider when thinking through this question.

First, AI is a tool that gives us superpowers, making our work more efficient and productive. There is a massive efficiency play that is already showing benefits in producing higher-quality work, faster. This applies to coding, copywriting, image generation, video and voice generation, and more.

Second, beyond the efficiency play, AI will revolutionize the way we work, requiring us to learn new skills and undergo training to adapt to new processes and systems. With the rise of AI agents and copilots, using AI will soon be a competitive advantage and an integral part of everyone’s job.

Thirdly, AI will create new job opportunities. In the short term, this will necessitate the development of new processes, systems, integrations, and compliance measures. In the long term, it will lead to new types of work and innovative ways of accomplishing tasks.

Finally, AI will change how some companies operate, and it will impact certain workgroups. The key is for people to embrace it and learn how AI can benefit them and their organizations. Adopting AI today will prepare teams for the future and ensure they remain competitive in an evolving landscape.

PE: Is AI impacting drug pricing in any way?
Rahman: AI is increasingly being utilized in the assessment and strategy phase of drug pricing. By leveraging AI, brands can gain valuable insights into how their competitors are pricing products across different regions worldwide. These insights enable companies to develop informed and competitive pricing strategies.

In our organization, we use a sophisticated pricing software called NAVLIN by EVERSANA. Our dedicated team manages this database, which employs AI to enhance search capabilities and streamline data retrieval. Recently, we introduced a new feature called Ask NAVLIN, which allows users to interact with the system more intuitively and obtain precise information quickly.

This AI-driven approach is developed within a highly secure environment, ensuring that all data and operations are protected. By incorporating AI into our pricing strategy, we can offer more accurate, efficient, and competitive pricing solutions for our clients.