NEW DELHI: In February 2020, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. and the MIT School of Engineering launched a groundbreaking collaboration focused on integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into health care and drug development. At the time, AI had not yet become the transformative force it is today, and the world was on the brink of a global pandemic. Now, as the program concludes, it stands as a testament to the powerful synergy between industry and academia in driving innovation.
The collaboration aimed to address real-world challenges and has produced a wealth of research papers, discoveries, and even a patent for a system that could enhance the manufacturing of small-molecule medicines. This program has laid a strong foundation for the role of AI and machine learning in the future of medicine, leveraging Takeda’s biopharmaceutical expertise and MIT’s prowess in AI research.
“The MIT-Takeda Program has been tremendously impactful and is a shining example of what can be accomplished when experts in industry and academia work together to develop solutions,” said Anantha Chandrakasan, MIT’s chief innovation and strategy officer, dean of the School of Engineering, and the Vannevar Bush Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. “In addition to resulting in research that has advanced how we use AI and machine learning in health care, the program has opened up new opportunities for MIT faculty and students through fellowships, funding, and networking.”
A unique aspect of the program was its focus on concrete challenges within drug development that Takeda needed help addressing. MIT faculty selected projects based on their expertise and interest, allowing for deep exploration of new areas in health care and drug development.
“It was focused on Takeda’s toughest business problems,” said Anne Heatherington, Takeda’s research and development chief data and technology officer and head of its Data Sciences Institute.
Simon Davies, the executive director of the MIT-Takeda Program and Takeda’s global head of statistical and quantitative sciences, added, “They were problems that colleagues were really struggling with on the ground.”
Located near each other, MIT and Takeda leveraged their proximity for close collaboration. Takeda, a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan, has its global business units and R&D center just down the street from MIT.
Impactful Outcomes:
MIT faculty had the autonomy to choose projects from a selection provided by Takeda, leading to collaborative teams working on 22 projects related to drug discovery, clinical drug development, and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Over 80 MIT students and faculty joined more than 125 Takeda researchers and staff, addressing these critical issues.
Some of the program’s findings have led to broader studies. For example, using AI to analyze speech has shown promise for the early detection of frontotemporal dementia and tracking the progression of ALS. These applications are still being tested by Takeda.
Other innovations include using AI to detect particle size and consistency in powdered medicines, which speeds up production. This research led to a patent filing. AI-enabled inspections for injectable medicines like vaccines have also reduced process time and false rejection rates, demonstrating tangible benefits for Takeda.
Heatherington noted, “Our lessons learned are really setting the stage for what we’re doing next, really embedding AI and gen-AI [generative AI] into everything that we do moving forward.”
Throughout the program, more than 150 Takeda researchers and staff participated in educational sessions organized by the Abdul Latif Jameel Clinic for Machine Learning in Health. The program also supported 10 students through SuperUROP and two cohorts from the DHIVE health-care innovation program.
Future Directions:
Although the formal program has ended, aspects of the collaboration will continue, including the MIT-Takeda Fellows, which supports graduate students in health and AI research. The program supported 44 MIT-Takeda Fellows and will continue to do so through an endowment fund. Ongoing organic collaborations between MIT and Takeda researchers will further expand the impact of this initiative, serving as a model for future academic-industry partnerships.
For more updates on AI in health care and drug development, visit the official websites of MIT and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co.
