SoftBank’s Fok on AI, Metsera and U.K.’s opportunity

Jacqueline Fok in conversation with Stephen Hansen on The BioCentury Show

There is a real opportunity for artificial intelligence to dramatically transform the speed, cost and efficiency of drug development over the long term, but the uptake of AI tools across biopharma has been much slower relative to the broader healthcare environment, SoftBank’s Jacqueline Fok said on The BioCentury Show. 

“I feel like we’re still in the testing period for at least some of the pharma companies that are partnering with these [AI] companies,” said Fok, who is investment director, Life Sciences & Health Tech at SoftBank Investment Advisers. 

And while she doesn’t think AI models will replace medicinal chemists anytime soon, she pointed to a future where AI could substantially improve the drug development process, with the biggest potential value gains in reducing the development costs and raising the probability of success.

Fok also detailed SoftBank’s investment strategy in life sciences and the opportunity the U.K. has to stand out as a globally competitive player, with SoftBank’s obesity portfolio company Metsera Inc. as a recent example of success.