The rise of subscription-based AI platforms for drug discovery

As soon as pharmaceutical companies recognized the potential of artificial intelligence tools for drug discovery, they rushed in with big money. After all, traditional drug discovery methods are painstakingly time-consuming, and the promise of AI platforms to trim timelines holds much appeal. Nearly all pharma giants have partnered with start-ups or well-established companies at the forefront of drug discovery AI. The catch is that these platforms are often out of the financial reach of smaller biotech companies and research groups. But this is changing, thanks to software as a service (SaaS). SaaS allows users to access cloud-based services over the internet by paying a monthly subscription fee. For a modest sum, drug hunters get access to AI methods of discovering new molecules, though without the personalized service that comes with a full-fledged partnership. Many AI companies in the drug discovery space have begun to market their services through a suite