Novartis partners with Oxford’s Big Data Institute to explore the benefits of data science and artificial intelligence for patients

The unique, five-year alliance will advance the analysis and interpretation of ultra large and multiple datasets, using artificial intelligence to provide insights into complex diseases

Novartis is delighted to announce a five-year collaboration with the University of Oxford’s Big Data Institute (BDI). The partnership establishes a world-leading research alliance that is expected to transform how we design and conduct clinical trials and shape the future of drug development.

How does artificial intelligence (AI) predict the risk of disease, or patients’ response to treatment?

Cutting edge technologies, such as AI machine learning and advanced analytics, are able to identify patterns, in ultra large datasets and across multiple datasets and different types of data, that humans cannot. By increasing our capabilities of spotting patterns and detecting commonalities across different diseases, we expect to predict how patients will respond to new and existing medicines earlier than is currently possible.

Our alliance with the BDI will make use of anonymised data from approximately 5 million patients from the UK and international partner organisations, together with anonymised data captured from relevant Novartis clinical trials. We hope that the combination of our clinical expertise with the BDI’s statistical machine learning technology and experience in statistical analysis will transform the scale and efficiency of clinical research at an unprecedented rate. We expect this to result in a better understanding of human disease and the possible routes for improved interventions that will bring benefits to patients.

Flagship programmes in multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatology and dermatology

Initially, the alliance will focus on two flagship programs aiming to gain scientific insights in multiple sclerosis, dermatology and rheumatology. By using advanced AI technology to analyse different types of data, we hope to improve our understanding of the development and progression of complex diseases like psoriasis and MS. As we enter a new era of data science and digital analytics in medicine, we are excited for the prospects this alliance will bring.

Hear more about the partnership and its ambitions from Professor Gil McVean, Director of the Big Data Institute: