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UCC researchers receive grant to accelerate medicine delivery to developing countries
University College Cork (UCC) research has received a grant to use modern computational methods to develop critical medicines for improving global health and equality.
A team of researchers at UCC has received €950,000 in funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to accelerate the development of medicines for conditions that impact those in developing countries.
Access to life-saving medicines in developing countries is often fraught with obstacles. For major pharmaceutical companies, the financial incentive to develop treatments for smaller, under-served populations simply isn’t there. Local manufacturers, meanwhile, often grapple with a lack of technical expertise and resources needed to navigate the rigorous process of bringing a drug to market. The challenges are compounded by inadequate infrastructure and harsh climatic conditions, making the path to accessible medicines even steeper.
Addressing this issue, a team from University College Cork’s School of Pharmacy - led by Professor Brendan Griffin, Dr Patrick O’Dwyer, and Dr Harriet Bennett-Lenane - is driving forward the "Advancing Global Health Drug Formulation Development Using ML and AI" project. Their mission is to develop Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools that can accelerate the creation of medicines for conditions that disproportionately affect those in developing countries, such as malaria and other tropical diseases.
The tools they are building will be made freely accessible via an open-source, web-based platform, ensuring that this technology can be leveraged worldwide. This ambitious project aligns to the UCC Futures thematic areas of Future Medicines and AI & Data Analytics.
Professor Brendan Griffin said: "We're building on the School of Pharmacy's strong foundation in AI and machine learning with this exciting project, which has the potential to reshape how medicines are developed for patients in developing countries. It ties in with our goal of using pharmaceutical innovation to create a more sustainable and accessible medicine supply for everyone."
A recent study by the UCC team has already demonstrated machine learning’s potential to predict the impact of taking medicine with food - an insight that will now be expanded upon to guide the development of optimal drug formulations tailored to the needs of patients in low-income regions. For the first time, these communities will benefit from AI-driven, predictive medicine development, offering hope in the quest for global health equity.
Professor Helen Whelton, Head of the College of Medicine and Health at UCC congratulated the researchers on securing this funding support from the Gates Foundation.
"We are extremely proud of our exceptional researchers using AI and machine learning to develop critical medicines which will enhance the lives of so many patients around the world. Their work reflects the vision of our UCC Futures framework to inspire, engage and enable our researchers to create future Medicines. This project shows how our research is impacting and transforming our approach to real-world health and social care. Their pioneering work will help transform human lives, advance economic development while addressing global grand challenges in health and disease, securing a better future for all."
Professor John Cryan, Vice-President for Research and Innovation at UCC, said: "Congratulations to the researchers from UCC’s School of Pharmacy on receiving this award from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This innovative research in the UCC Futures thematic areas of Future Medicines and AI & Data Analytics, will deliver future medicines to low-income countries. Through the open access nature of the work, this award will address key societal and economical challenges in the pharmaceutical sector."