Optimizing patient care at Sanofi through AI

The pharmaceutical industry is undergoing profound transformation to not just accelerate drug research and production processes, but improve overall patient care. Integral to success is the consolidation of AI, biotechnology, and robotics, and in this context, Sanofi has been combining science and tech for years to develop more effective and accessible treatments and vaccines.

More recently, the Paris-based biopharmaceutical company has focused on applying AI on a large scale across healthcare. According to Lara Carreter, head of transformation at Sanofi in Iberia, the company is undergoing a transformation that encompasses scientific, technological, and cultural aspects, not just digital. “AI is integrated into the company’s entire value chain, from how we identify new molecules to how we ensure medicines arrive where they’re needed on time and in our way of working,” she says. “This transformation is driven by a clear ambition to be the first biopharmaceutical company to adopt AI on a large scale, with a direct and tangible impact for patients.”

Root of the matter

Sanofi’s digital transformation is an ongoing process that began with the need to adapt how it conducted research to develop, produce, and deliver therapeutic solutions to an increasingly connected, agile, and data-centric world.

A step taken in 2022 was the Digital Accelerator, designed to rapidly scale the use of disruptive technologies like AI at all levels of the organization, from R&D to business processes. And while the end goal of better connecting science, technology, and talent to improve patients’ lives has always been clear, the process isn’t always straightforward.

“The bigger challenges have been more personal than technical — things like moving from working in silos to thinking in networks, and going from linear processes to iterative models,” says Alex Pérez, head of comms at Sanofi Iberia. “But we’re proactive about advancing the culture as opposed to waiting for it to change. We create environments where making mistakes quickly is part of the innovation process, where science intersects with AI, and hierarchy gives way to open, horizontal, and connected ways of working.” After all, he adds, tech alone doesn’t transform anything, but what it does transform is the way people use it, and it’s this cultural change that’s been the key lever.

A solid tech foundation

Sanofi’s technological strategy is based on three fundamental pillars. First is a global, secure, and scalable digital infrastructure that allows the company to operate in real time in more than 100 countries. The second is integrating AI throughout the entire value chain, from basic research to production and distribution. And third is embracing its own ethical framework, RAISE (Responsible AI at Sanofi for Everyone), which ensures that each model used is traceable, explainable, and compliant with the most demanding regulations. “These three pillars allow us to advance quickly and responsibly in the digital transformation of the healthcare sector,” says Carreter.

The integration of AI, specifically, allows Sanofi to advance faster and with greater precision. “We’re using generative AI to design new molecules, predict complex immune responses, and simulate how a drug might behave in different patient profiles,” says Pérez. “Ultimately, AI allows us to take science a step further, with a very specific goal of offering more effective, personalized, and accessible treatments for patients.”

Carreter adds that AI can also shorten the time between discovery and patient delivery of a new drug by up to 50%, and improve the success rate in early stages by up to 30%. “For patients, this translates into faster, more tailored treatments with better results,” she says.

On track with AI

One of the more transformative projects the company has promoted involving the supply and manufacturing chain combines AI and predictive models. “We’ve implemented digital twins and machine learning algorithms to anticipate 80% of logistic disruptions and predict 65% of their causes,” says Pérez.

This allows the company to react more quickly, guarantee availability of medicines, and optimize every step of the process. “We’ve also taken this vision a step further with a pioneering collaboration with McLaren, applying their racing mentality to our industrial environments,” he adds. “Inspired by the precision and agility of Formula 1, we worked with their engineers to optimize changeover times on production lines, improve efficiency in our plants, and adopt a mindset based on rapid iteration and real-time analytics. This hasn’t only improved key metrics but has led to a tangible cultural shift of more empowered teams, smarter processes, and a factory that quickly learns and adapts.”

To successfully integrate projects, Sanofihas relied on global tech partners at different stages of its transformation, allowing it to scale capabilities, develop responsible AI solutions, and strengthen its digital architecture. For example, the migration to Google Cloud has been key to modernizing infrastructure by enabling advanced analytics and providing the ability to deploy large-scale AI solutions. And with Aily Labs, they’ve collaborated to develop plai, Sanofi’s internal AI app, which offers real-time analysis and hypothetical scenarios based on predictive models that allow internal teams to better prepare. Other collaborations with companies such as Exscientia, BioMap, IGM Biosciences, provide further specialized AI to design molecules, biotherapeutics, and advanced therapies.

Innovation from Barcelona

Since 2016, Spain has led Sanofi’s international innovation and transformation through its Global Innovation Center, consolidating its position as a strategic location thanks to its technological ecosystem, digital talent, and ability to attract international projects.

“This year, we’ve taken a step further with the creation of our global hub, which will generate more than 300 highly qualified jobs,” says Pérez. “This new center was created with the aim of leading a digital transformation from Europe with a real impact on global health, accelerating the development of innovative therapies through the responsible use of AI.”

From this center, they work on strategic projects that apply AI throughout the entire value chain, focusing on areas such as real-world evidence generation (RWE), clinical analysis and statistical programming, scientific and R&D support, and development of predictive models for logistics and the supply chain. “Everything we do from this center has a common goal: to offer faster, more accurate, and sustainable responses to global health needs, combining science, technology, and data to transform the future of medicine,” adds Pérez.

Keeping an eye on AI regulation

August 1 marked one year since the EU AI Act came into force, a necessary step, according to Pérez, that provides legal certainty and builds trust in sectors where traceability, transparency, and data quality are fundamental. However, the pace of innovation in healthcare is rapid, so regulatory frameworks to support this progress are necessary. “Future guidelines from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), along with initiatives such as regulated testing environments, can facilitate the validation of innovative AI-based solutions under controlled and safe conditions,” says Pérez. “And, above all, close collaboration between institutions, the private sector, and patient organizations will be key for Europe to lead the digital transformation of healthcare with responsibility and ambition.”

Even so, the most urgent challenge is ensuring the interoperability and secure accessibility of clinical data. Without this, Carreter explains, neither AI nor personalized medicine can advance. “It’s key to invest steadily in digital infrastructure, train professionals, and have flexible regulations that accelerate the pace of innovation,” she says.