What You Should Know:
- Nearly three-fourths of life sciences organizations surveyed have invested in digital pathology to advance drug research and development (R&D), according to new research commissioned by Proscia®. Over half of these organizations (53%) still center their operations around legacy software systems primarily for basic image viewing despite growing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate the introduction of breakthrough therapeutics.
- The “2023 Life Sciences Digital Pathology Adoption Survey” asked 40 senior executives from top pharmaceutical companies and leading contract research organizations (CROs) about their use of digital pathology, the benefits it has delivered, and its future impacts. The results collectively indicate a growing need to unify teams, applications, including AI, and pathology data with a modern software platform that drives all stages of R&D across the connected enterprise.
Using Artificial Intelligence to Accelerate the Introduction of Breakthrough Therapeutics
Key findings from the survey are as follows:
- Executives consider digital pathology as a solution for R&D challenges in the pharmaceutical industry.
- Improved collaboration and streamlined operations are the top reasons for adopting digital pathology (83% of respondents).
- 80% of respondents see digital pathology as a way to overcome lengthy drug development timelines, while 68% view it as a means to reduce costs.
- 82% of digital pathology users have implemented AI, with 87% leveraging image analysis applications and 65% deploying process automation solutions.
- All other current users of digital pathology plan to adopt AI, indicating a growing need for an enterprise pathology platform with a wide range of AI applications.
- Creating data assets is a significant driver for digital pathology investment (55% of respondents).
- Pathology data and whole slide images contain valuable real-world data that can shape future breakthroughs in drug development. Pharmaceutical leaders should consider fully incorporating this data into their workflows.
“Our survey confirms that digital pathology has earned its place on the C-suite agenda across life sciences organizations,” said David West, Proscia’s CEO. “These executives see its promise and must now grow their implementations to realize its full potential today and in the future with modern software. As they do, we anticipate that the enterprise pathology platform will establish itself as a new standard for bringing innovative therapies to patients.”
