AI is saving pharma billions in manufacturing and back-office work, just not in the lab

Pharma companies are seeing the clearest AI gains in manufacturing and back-office work, not yet in drug discovery.

Eli Lilly used a digital twin and machine learning to improve tirzepatide production, showing how AI can boost output and efficiency.

Other drugmakers including Roche, GSK, AstraZeneca and Merck are investing heavily, but approved AI-designed medicines have not arrived.

Recursion and similar efforts have shown early experimental promise, yet the path to new drugs still looks uncertain.

RBC estimates AI could still save the U.S. pharma industry about $90 billion over five years.