Dr Flora on the Potential Role of AI in Clinical Trial Screening and Design for Oncology

"I see the whole [clinical trial] process [improving with the use of AI]. The costs will go down, and the rate of return on investment for these investments in good science will be higher."

Douglas Flora, MD, LSSBB, executive medical director of Oncology Services for the Yung Family Cancer Center at St. Elizabeth Cancer Center, discussed the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance and accelerate clinical trial design and screening within oncology, per his presentation at the Inaugural MiBA Community Summit.

Flora identified three primary mechanisms by which AI is transforming oncology practices, all aimed at improving speed and efficiency. The first area is patient screening, where AI significantly accelerates the ability to identify and screen suitable candidates for trials, he stated. This accelerated timeline is achieved by automating the mechanical, rote duties traditionally performed by clinical research nurses or clinical research coordinators.

The second critical application is accelerating early-phase drug development. Flora noted that AI facilitates trials developing new agents in silico, meaning in a simulated fashion. This simulation allows researchers to quickly identify the best possible targets for therapeutic intervention or the most effective agents available to attack those targets. This methodology, utilizing in silico development, plays a decisive role in reducing the overall time required for a new drug to reach the market, he noted.

The third area of impact involves optimizing the actual conduct of the clinical trial. Flora detailed that AI improves the logistical challenges of research, specifically enhancing how clinicians reach and enroll the appropriate patients more quickly. Furthermore, AI tools allow for the benefits and the risks associated with treatment to be tracked more appropriately and efficiently throughout the trial duration, he said. Ultimately, Flora concluded that the comprehensive adoption of AI is essential for accelerating timelines and ensuring the entire clinical trial process is faster and more efficient. Integrating these tools streamlines the entire research process, resulting in reduced process costs and ensuring a much higher and faster rate of return on investment for scientific endeavors, he emphasized.

Disclosures: Flora is a speaker for Tempus AI, MiBA, Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, Haystack, and Natera; consultant/advisor for Viz AI, VieCure, Total Health Oncology, Patient Point, and Azra AI; executive for the Association of Cancer Care Centers, American Cancer Society, Faith Community Pharmacy, and AI in Precision Oncology; and has ownership interests in Tensor Black, Inc.