April saw major strides in how the industry approaches drug discovery – from regulatory reform and academic breakthroughs to real-world data (RWD) applications. This month’s roundup explores five key developments in AI-powered drug discovery, each reinforcing a shared truth: no matter how advanced the algorithm, clean and clinically meaningful data remains the foundation of trustworthy innovation.
1. FDA embraces AI to replace animal testing for drug discovery
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a plan to phase out traditional animal testing in favor of AI drug discovery models and lab-engineered human tissue systems. These new AI platforms for early drug discovery are expected to dramatically speed up preclinical research, reduce costs, and improve safety predictions – marking a notable shift in how early-stage compounds are validated for clinical trials. They also underscore the importance of ensuring clinical data precision for safe, scalable innovation. [April 10]
2. Mount Sinai’s AI Drug Discovery Center highlights why precision data still matters
Mount Sinai has opened an AI Small Molecule Drug Discovery Center to accelerate medicine development using generative AI and predictive modeling. It’s a major step forward for AI drug discovery given that conventional methods can take years and cost billions – but also a reminder that even the most advanced algorithms rely on clean, structured data to deliver results. [April 2]
3. AI drug discovery gets a boost from real-world evidence (RWE) in oncology
A new oncology initiative launched this month aims to use real-world patient data and AI to better match cancer patients with therapies. While the focus is precision oncology, the implications for AI drug discovery are plentiful: better biomarkers, smarter trials, and faster therapeutic pipelines. AstraZeneca’s participation reflects pharma’s growing investment in this space – and supports IMO Health’s mission of making clinical data usable from day one. [April 24]
4. Military researchers apply AI drug discovery guidelines
Researchers at the Defense Health Agency Research and Development-Medical Research and Development Command are exploring how to implement the latest regulatory guidance on AI in drug discovery to support the development of life-saving therapies. As the use of AI in drug research and development increases, researchers must ensure the reliability, accuracy, and completeness of the training data. At IMO Health, we know that poor-quality data leads to poor-quality outcomes – that’s why our solutions focus on cleaning and refining existing data for faster, more trustworthy results. [April 23]
5. AI accelerates early drug discovery at Bio-IT World 2025
AI-powered drug discovery and development breakthroughs took center stage at Bio-IT World 2025, with pharma leaders highlighting various advancements. Attendees also discussed the importance of creating regulatory grade RWD. IMO Health joined the conversation with a poster presentation showcasing our own AI-powered approach to discovering new, off-label uses for existing drugs – with a special focus on rare diseases. By automating scientific evidence review, our framework helps reduce time and cost in repurposing and supporting faster, smarter therapeutic decisions for underserved conditions. [April 21]
