New Delhi, April 4, 2026:
As part of Sadhana Week 2026, the Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers on Saturday organised a webinar on “AI and Emerging Technologies in Pharmaceuticals and Regulation,” highlighting how artificial intelligence is reshaping India’s pharmaceutical value chain.
The session focused on the transformative role of AI across drug discovery, development, and regulatory science, underlining its growing relevance in strengthening India’s pharma ecosystem and improving global competitiveness.
The webinar was addressed by Prof. Manoj Kumar from the Department of Pharmacoinformatics at National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Mohali, who presented a comprehensive overview of the pharmaceutical lifecycle and the role of AI at each stage.
In the research and development phase, AI is increasingly being used for target identification and lead optimisation, accelerating the discovery of promising molecules. During pre-clinical studies, AI-enabled simulations are improving both in vitro and in vivo modelling, helping researchers predict outcomes faster and more accurately.
For clinical trials, the technology is being applied to optimise trial design, improve patient stratification, and enable advanced data analytics, making studies more efficient and precise. In the regulatory review and approval stage, AI-based decision-support systems are enhancing evidence generation and streamlining the assessment process.
Prof. Kumar also highlighted cutting-edge developments such as prediction of 3D protein structures and drug-target interactions, AI-based molecular design, de novo molecule generation, and multi-target drug development. He said AI is also improving retrosynthetic pathway prediction, therapeutic target discovery, and drug repurposing opportunities, all of which can significantly shorten the innovation cycle.
The webinar further noted that AI-driven prediction of toxicity, bioactivity, and physicochemical properties is improving early-stage research outcomes, while faster compound screening is reducing both time and cost in the initial stages of drug discovery.
A key theme of the session was the need for capacity building within government systems to enable evidence-based regulatory decision-making, faster approvals, stronger pharmacovigilance, and more effective post-market surveillance.
