AI Spearheads AbbVie’s Pharmaceutical Breakthroughs and Strategic Vision

Executive Summary

• AbbVie has developed AI tools like Cortellis Search and SCRAP to improve their clinical study reports (CSRs) generation and management.
• The company has employed transformative AI like FOCAL for various tasks, from content identification to translation and generation of content.
• Collaboration with Intel led to the optimization of NLP models, significantly accelerating language translation and document search operations.
• AI adoption hasn’t negated human involvement; rather, it has augmented human capabilities and efficiencies.

Deep Dive: How AbbVie is Pioneering AI Integration in Pharma

Problem

AbbVie faced significant challenges in managing vast amounts of complex data, streamlining document analysis, and optimizing content creation processes across its global operations. These inefficiencies were hindering productivity and slowing down critical research and development efforts. To tackle these pressing issues, AbbVie has implemented a robust AI strategy. The company leverages Cortellis Search to swiftly identify key phrases in extensive documents, addressing the time-consuming nature of manual document review. SCRAP has been deployed to overcome hurdles in content retrieval and authoring, enhancing the speed and accuracy of information access and creation. FOCAL addresses language barriers and inconsistencies by efficiently handling translation tasks. AbbVie's primary focus in developing these AI solutions has been to create user-centric tools that not only boost efficiency but seamlessly integrate into employees' existing workflows, minimizing disruption while maximizing adoption and impact.

Solution

AbbVie has forged powerful partnerships to supercharge its AI capabilities, most notably with tech giant Intel. This collaboration has yielded impressive results, transforming AbbVie's proprietary tools into cutting-edge powerhouses. Abbelfish Machine Translation, the company's innovative language translation service, has been turbocharged through Intel's Optimization for TensorFlow, pushing the boundaries of multilingual communication. Similarly, AbbVie Search, a sophisticated NLP model designed for parsing complex research documents, has undergone a dramatic performance boost thanks to the Intel Distribution of OpenVINO toolkit, revolutionizing the speed and efficiency of scientific literature analysis.

Impact

The strategic AI optimizations have unleashed unprecedented gains in operational efficiency. Abbelfish language translation has achieved a remarkable 1.9x improvement in throughput, shattering previous performance barriers. Even more impressively, AbbVie Search has experienced a staggering 5.3x acceleration compared to its unoptimized TensorFlow counterpart. These monumental improvements not only dramatically accelerate critical processes but also significantly reduce the need for additional hardware investments, optimizing resource allocation for AI-driven tasks across the organization.

Change Management

While AbbVie's AI advancements are transformative, the company remains vigilant in addressing key challenges. Ensuring the unwavering accuracy of AI-generated content stands as a top priority. Despite the vast capabilities of models like FOCAL, AbbVie recognizes the critical role of human expertise in validating outputs, maintaining a perfect balance between AI efficiency and human insight. Another crucial focus is the seamless integration of these powerful AI tools into existing platforms. AbbVie is committed to creating user-centric solutions that not only push the boundaries of technology but also enhance the day-to-day workflow of its talented workforce, ensuring widespread adoption and maximum impact across the organization.

Roadmap

AbbVie plans to release the technology behind many of these models into the public domain in the coming months. They believe that while the CSR remains their strategic asset, the models and the technological advancements can be beneficial to other pharmaceutical companies and industries.

AbbVie stands poised to revolutionize the pharmaceutical industry through its pioneering AI integration strategy. The company's bold vision for the future leverages cutting-edge technology alongside human expertise, setting new benchmarks for operational efficiency in drug development and research. AbbVie's strategic collaborations and continuous AI advancements are laying the groundwork for transformative breakthroughs in healthcare. As we look ahead, AbbVie is set to redefine industry standards, accelerate innovation, and deliver life-changing therapies at an unprecedented pace. This unwavering commitment to AI-driven progress solidifies AbbVie's position as a visionary leader in the global biopharmaceutical landscape, promising a future where advanced technology and human ingenuity combine to address the world's most pressing health challenges.

Publications:

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