Pittcon Preview: Next-Generation Drug Development Enabled by Automation, Digitalization, and AI/ML

The pharmaceutical industry is experiencing rapidly shrinking drug development cycles alongside a surge in complex, specific therapeutic modalities. These trends have placed technical development on the critical path, revealing that traditional, labor-intensive manual processes often create substantial bottlenecks. To address this, there is an urgent need to adopt automation, digitalization, and artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) to accelerate timelines for both small molecules and new modalities. By leveraging high-throughput workflows and data-driven insights, the industry has a rare opportunity to increase productivity and revolutionize modern drug development.

The session Next-Generation Drug Development Enabled by Automation, Digitalization, and AI/ML is scheduled to take place at Pittcon 2026 in San Antonio, TX, on Monday, March 9, from 8:30 am–10:40 am in Room 304B of the Henry B. González Conference Center. A quartet of industry professionals will come together to share how automation and AI are revolutionizing modern drug development.

The session begins with Tao Chen of Genentech, Inc. (South San Francisco, CA) and her presentation Transforming New Modality Drug Development Through Automation, Digitalization, and AI/ML. The rise of new therapeutic modalities, particularly nucleic acid-based drugs, is transforming medicine by offering treatments for previously intractable diseases. To overcome delivery challenges like lipid nanoparticle optimization, researchers are implementing high-throughput automation and state-of-the-art robotics to reshape development workflows. Chen discusses how, by integrating end-to-end digitalization and AI/ML, these innovations are establishing a new paradigm for accelerating and enhancing the creation of modern drug delivery platforms. Chen is scheduled to speak from 8:30 am–9:00 am.

Following Chen is Tina Ehnebuske of Pfizer (New York, NY), who will present Progress Over Perfection: Implementing Automation into Your Workflow Package Within the Not-so Perfect World. Automation, AI, and ML are revolutionizing laboratory operations by enabling researchers to design and execute high-throughput experiments through advanced software and hardware. Successful implementation requires identifying the right instrumentation and workflows to improve delivery speed without disrupting existing research cycles. By sharing practical strategies and hurdles, Ehnebuske’s presentation outlines how a clear implementation plan is essential for modernizing laboratory strategy. Chen is scheduled to speak from 9:00 am–9:30 am.

After a short break, Weiyue Xin of Merck (Rahway, NJ) will deliver her presentation Comprehensive Automated Solutions for Drug and Biomarker Analysis. Merck has developed automation solutions to meet the rigorous speed and scientific demands of complex vaccine development. Her presentation highlights a fully automated, end-to-end workflow that integrates robotics and digital data pipelines to accelerate stability and biomarker assessments. By minimizing manual variability and shortening timelines, these reproducible workflows provide a digital foundation for identifying critical quality attributes and supporting regulatory confidence.Xin is scheduled to give her presentation from 9:40 am–10:10 am.

The session concludes with Michael Rerick of GSK (London, United Kingdom) and Fully Autonomous Stability Workstation for Small Molecule Drug Development. GSK is advancing the pursuit of fully autonomous laboratories by developing a solubility workstation that integrates sample preparation and analytical analysis into a seamless, high-throughput workflow. By utilizing an ABB robotic arm to coordinate solid dispensing, liquid handling, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, the system operates independently to increase throughput and enhance laboratory safety. In his presentation, Rerick discusses how this innovation allows scientists to repurpose time spent on routine unit operations toward experimental design and data interpretation, accelerating the overall drug development process. Rerick is scheduled to speak from 10:10 am–10:40 am.