JPM2026: Broadening AI drug discovery to include the lab, with Yann Gaston-Mathe

At the JP Morgan Healthcare conference this year, a lot of the discourse around AI drug discovery focused on making the leap from purely in silico drug discovery operations to real-world operations that are able to incorporate wet lab data in an iterative way. This is easily said, but to do it requires innovating new processes and infrastructures. On the sidelines of the show, pharmaphorum’s Jonah Comstock caught up with Yann Gaston-Mathe, founder and CEO of Iktos, an AI drug discovery company that just signed a billion euro deal with Servier to put this technology into action. In this quick dispatch from JPM (and we apologise for the shaky audio), Gaston-Mathe describes this shift in AI drug discovery, why it needs to happen, and what it takes, as well as giving some insights on why Servier and Iktos are a good fit as partners. “You need to think about how effective you are in the transition between the in vitro world and the in silico world,” Gaston-Mathe says. “Building on the data which is available is not enough.” You can listen to episode 242 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

The global impact of digital transformation in the last few decades cannot be understated. And now, of course, artificial intelligence (or AI) is making headlines for its potential to transform lives. In a new pharmaphorum podcast, Deep Dive editor Eloise McLennan speaks with Mohit Manrao, SVP, head of US oncology at AstraZeneca, and president of the AstraZeneca Foundation. The conversation explores the application of AI in cancer care, some of the most promising potential applications of AI in the life sciences setting generally, as well as AZ’s multi-year partnership with Pangaea Data, focused on advancing precision healthcare with multimodal AI. Additionally, Manrao discusses how equity gaps in oncology can be minimized, but also the importance of maintaining the human touch when it comes to applying AI in the cancer setting. You can listen to episode 241 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

On-site on the sidelines of JP Morgan Healthcare conference in San Francisco this year, pharmaphorum editor-in-chief Jonah Comstock sat down with Andrew Beck, co-founder and CEO at PathAI. The conversation covers what PathAI has been up to lately in AI within diagnostics in pathology, explores what’s been discussed on the ground at the conference, and also touches upon equality and access to precision diagnostics. Additionally, Beck notes the company’s work in prospective clinical trials in life sciences, as well as co-partnering with pharma. Having seen an over 10 x growth of adoption of their technology in 2025, Beck also discusses advances in the MASH field. Listen to this and other conversations from JPM2026 here. You can listen to episode 240 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

An increasing prevalence of immunodeficiency and autoimmune disorders has led to increasing demand for plasma-derived immunoglobulin therapies and a need for scalable and sustainable treatment solutions. In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Dr Jörg Schüttrumpf, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Innovation Officer of Grifols and Chief Executive Officer at Biotest, a Grifols company. The conversation explores advancing immunoglobulin (or IG) treatment for immune disorders, looking broadly at the field and current innovation that is working towards redefining how these therapies are delivered, accessed, and optimised for a growing and diverse patient population. Dr Schüttrumpf also discusses emerging platforms such as recombinant polyclonal therapeutics, as well as the integration of Real World Evidence (RWE) and artificial intelligence (AI) in shaping the future of immunodeficiency care. You can listen to episode 239 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

A liquid biopsy is a blood test that detects signs of cancerous tumors, including tumour cells and cancer cell DNA. In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Andrew Newland, CEO of ANGLE, about why live cell liquid biopsies should become standard in oncology. Newland explains how current US FDA-approved tests can detect some types of advanced cancers, predict prognosis, and help healthcare providers make treatment decisions. And importantly, Newland describes how live cell liquid biopsies are a UK-developed technology that aligns with national efforts to modernise cancer diagnostics, as well as potentially reduce healthcare costs by minimising ineffective treatments. You can listen to episode 238 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

It goes without saying that drug pricing and accessibility in the United States are complex indeed. In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Vinay Patel, an innovative pharmacist who's set out to transform the healthcare industry, about these intricacies. Patel discusses some intriguing stories about crafting innovative solutions for employers, revitalising struggling independent pharmacies, and implementing hybrid care models that can make healthcare more attainable for everyone. The conversation touches upon how biosimilars driving pharmaceutical innovation and reducing health costs, the role of telemedicine, also. You can listen to episode 237 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Gefion is Denmark’s first AI supercomputer, named after a goddess in Danish mythology. It is operated by the Danish Centre for AI Innovation (DCAI), a company established with funding from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the world’s wealthiest charitable foundation, as well as the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark. In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Tarek Samad, Lundbeck’s senior vice president and head of research, for a conversation on AI – specifically, Lundbeck’s agreement with the DCAI to run and operate Gefion – and accelerating drug discovery and development within the neurological and psychiatric field. You can listen to episode 236 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Illumina innovative sequencing and array technologies are fuelling groundbreaking advancements in life sciences research, translational and consumer genomics, and molecular diagnostics. In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Markus Vossman, Germany general manager at Illumina, about innovative genomic applications and projects in the region. Vossman discusses the genomics landscape, as well as next-generation sequencing (or NGS), and the Model Project, a large-scale national pilot project aiming to evaluate the utility of genomic sequencing for patients with advanced cancer and rare diseases. You can listen to episode 235 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

The FDA recently announced that it will begin offering faster drug reviews to certain medicines, reducing the drug review process from approximately ten months to one or two months. This news follows a series of rapid changes from the FDA since the Trump administration took office. In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Dr Amy Bucher, chief behavioural officer at Lirio, a healthcare personalization platform helping insurers, health systems, and pharmacies deliver precision nudges to move patients into action. Bucher discusses the risks of the declining trust in healthcare institutions from a behavioural science perspective, as well as how regulatory changes, such as fast-tracking drug approvals as seen with the FDA lately, can impact patient perception. You can listen to episode 234 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

In a new pharmaphorum podcast, guest Patrick Leung – chief technology officer at Faro Health – discusses how AI can transform clinical trials. The conversation touches upon how large language models (or LLMs) can be gotten into production in regulated spaces – and why generic models won’t cut it in this domain – as well as the role of real-world data in quantifying and reducing patient burden. You can listen to episode 233 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.