20 Mar COVID-19 five years later: The impact on drug discovery

By Phil Mounteney, Applied Clinical Trials

The New Normal

Five years ago, COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, marking the official onset of a healthcare crisis that has claimed more than seven million lives and whose impact continues to resonate today. Initial containment efforts for the evasive and evolving SARS-CoV-2 virus required unprecedented collaboration between nations, healthcare agencies, and industry innovators. This pandemic has become a pivotal moment in history, not only for its impact on human lives but also for fundamentally transforming modern drug discovery approaches.

The “new normal,” an expression so often heard back in the throes of the crisis, now necessitates deeper collaboration and strategic use of data, automation, and AI to deliver rapid innovation. Agility, flexibility, and collaboration were paramount to the world’s pandemic response, and these key tenets remain essential to both driving progress against other hard-to-treat diseases and preparing for future public health emergencies.

What specifically has changed in the realm of drug discovery? Read More…