Re-Thinking the Pipeline: Development in the Age of AI

In this article, AustinPx’s CEO, Elizabeth Hickman, examines how artificial intelligence is reshaping the front end of drug discovery and what that shift means for development. AI-driven tools are enabling researchers to design and evaluate increasingly complex molecules at unprecedented speed, expanding access to targets that were once considered undruggable. However, many of these AI-designed compounds introduce significant developability challenges, including poor solubility, stability limitations, and manufacturing constraints. Elizabeth explores the growing gap between discovery speed and development reality, and why early formulation strategy and experienced CDMO partnerships are becoming essential to translate promising molecules into viable, manufacturable medicines.