R&D Strategic Focus At the 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, GSK’s Chief Scientific Officer Tony Wood detailed the company’s “multimodal approach” to drug discovery. By integrating genomics with artificial intelligence (AI), the pharmaceutical giant aims to streamline development timelines and reduce the high attrition rates typically seen in mid-stage clinical trials.
Key Strategic Initiatives:
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AI and Big Data Alliances: In early 2026, GSK secured two significant collaborations with California-based tech firms:
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Helix: Gaining access to extensive genomic and longitudinal data to advance precision medicine R&D.
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Noetik ($50 million): Utilizing machine learning (ML) to leverage virtual cell models for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and colorectal cancer.
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Technological Objectives: GSK expects AI-driven insights to specifically address “Phase II attrition,” the stage where many drug candidates fail to reach pivotal studies, thereby improving overall R&D efficiency.
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Securing Future Revenue: To mitigate upcoming patent expirations, GSK acquired several late-stage assets in 2025:
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IDRx ($1 billion): Acquired IDRX-42 for gastrointestinal stromal tumors, currently in Phase III trials.
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Boston Pharmaceuticals ($1.2 billion): Acquired efimosfermin for steatotic liver disease (SLD), which initiated pivotal studies in late 2025.
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Medium-term Outlook: These assets are projected to drive significant sales by 2031. Furthermore, GSK anticipates completing the CALM-2 trial for camlipixant by mid-2026 and plans to advance its HIV portfolio with long-acting formulations requiring only two or three doses per year.