TLDR: Amgen is extensively deploying generative AI across its operations, from drug discovery and development to manufacturing and administrative tasks, significantly accelerating its mission to deliver innovative therapies to patients.
Amgen is at the forefront of integrating generative artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize the biotechnology industry. The company is leveraging these advanced tools across its entire value chain, encompassing drug discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization, all aimed at enhancing its ability to serve patients more effectively.
A key aspect of Amgen’s AI strategy involves the analysis of vast human datasets to expedite the discovery of novel health insights and therapies. This is supported by strategic partnerships, notably with Exeton, which has provided a powerful NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD, equipped with 31 NVIDIA DGX H100 nodes and a total of 248 H100 Tensor Core GPUs. This infrastructure is crucial for developing precision medicine models and accelerating research.
Beyond the lab, Amgen has also embraced generative AI for productivity. The company has provided Microsoft Copilot, a generative AI tool, to approximately 20,000 employees. This widespread adoption aims to streamline repetitive, time-consuming daily tasks in both office and laboratory settings, thereby freeing up staff to focus on higher-level challenges and innovation. Mike Zahigian, Amgen’s Chief Information Officer, emphasized the urgency, stating, “Every second counts in our mission to serve patients. Any time we can reclaim is invaluable.”
David Reese, Amgen’s first Chief Technology Officer and former head of Research and Development, characterized the current period as a “hinge moment,” where technology and biotechnology are merging to transform drug discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization. He added that “By harnessing AI, Amgen is focused on accelerating the delivery of new therapies, while simultaneously boosting productivity and equipping our employees with future-proof skills.”
In the laboratory, AI is revolutionizing drug discovery by enabling rapid simulations and modeling. Amgen utilizes NVIDIA’s AI models for generative biology, allowing scientists to generate models of protein-based molecules and predict their effectiveness and safety through simulations. This capability significantly cuts down the time required for data aggregation and analysis, transforming processes that once took days or weeks into mere moments.
The application of AI extends to manufacturing, where solutions from AWS have improved processes, leading to reduced downtime and increased efficiency, ultimately accelerating the delivery of medicines to patients.
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Amgen’s commitment to AI is underpinned by its Artificial Intelligence Vision, which includes commitments to building trustworthy AI tools and using them responsibly. While the integration presents challenges, such as managing vast data and ensuring collaboration between computer and wet lab scientists, the company’s pioneering efforts are setting a precedent for the biotechnology industry, showcasing the immense potential of AI in revolutionizing healthcare.
