PSTU-12 - Artificial intelligence as a tool to combat tuberculosis

Meeting room 2.40
Organised by The FIP Board of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Chair(s)

Ms Brenda Knipe, University of the Western Cape, South Africa

Introduction

Machine learning algorithms/artificial intelligence (AI) have been used in pharmaceutical science for many years to aid management of large data sets. In the past few years these tools have grown ever more advanced and are just now reaching a level that they are having a significant impact on the drug development process and timeline. Every day papers are published with researchers reporting how they used AI to overcome obstacles in their search for new drugs, new knowledge, new applications with the overall goal to impact on patient treatment and outcome.

In this session, we will focus on how AI can be used to detect, treat, and prevent infection from tuberculosis, which the WHO reported in 2022 has become the second most deadly infectious disease after COVID-19. Tuberculosis is both preventable and treatable, but access to drugs, drug resistance, and long treatment regimens prevent the eradication of the disease. Researchers and advocates now put their hopes to AI, to help support their efforts to overcome these obstacles.

Programme

14:30 – 14:35     

Introduction by the chair
14:35 – 14:50 Short oral communication from a selected submitted abstract
14:50 – 15:20 Combining AI and drug repurposing to identify drugs for pandemics and neglected tropical diseases
Prof. David Winkler, Monash University, Australia
15:20 – 15:50 Point-of-care detection tools like cough-apps and mobile x-ray technologies
Dr Mikashmi Kohli, FIND, Switzerland
15:50 – 16:00 Q&A and closing by the chair

Learning objectives

  • To identify how AI can be used as a tool to support drug repurposing.
  • To understand how AI can support disease detection, treatment, and prevention. 
  • To describe the current and future focus to combat tuberculosis in Africa. 

Take home messages

  • Artificial intelligence can shorten the drug development process and support researchers with discovery.
  • Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool that can help fight disease and support the eradication of tuberculosis.