SHERIDAN, WYOMING – November 10, 2024 – Johnson & Johnson is at the forefront of a healthcare revolution, harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to transform patient care. From enhancing surgical procedures and accelerating drug discovery to personalizing treatments and optimizing the supply chain, AI is integral to Johnson & Johnson's mission to improve the lives of people worldwide.
AI's role in healthcare has evolved significantly since its early conceptualization in the 1950s. While initial limitations hindered its widespread adoption, recent advancements have led to a surge of AI-powered medical devices and applications. "In the next few years, AI is going to play an even bigger role," says Jim Swanson, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Johnson & Johnson.
Revolutionizing Surgical Procedures
Johnson & Johnson's Polyphonic™ digital ecosystem is a prime example of AI's transformative impact on surgery. This innovative platform allows surgeons to connect remotely, share surgical videos, and analyze patient data in real-time. "Surgeons are a lot like high-performance athletes," says Shan Jegatheeswaran, Global Vice President of MedTech Digital at Johnson & Johnson. "New and learning surgeons want to see how they performed and learn from their performances and how others performed." Polyphonic™ facilitates this learning process by providing valuable post-case analysis and learning opportunities.
AI is also enhancing surgical precision and efficiency. The CARTO™ 3 System, equipped with deep learning capabilities, assists electrophysiologists in performing cardiac ablation procedures with greater accuracy. Similarly, the AI-powered VirtuGuide™ software automates patient analysis and correction for foot and ankle deformities, streamlining surgical planning and reducing the process from weeks to days.
Accelerating Drug Discovery and Clinical Trials
AI is revolutionizing the traditionally time-consuming process of drug discovery. By applying AI to vast medical datasets, Johnson & Johnson researchers can identify disease targets and accelerate the development of new medicines. "Drug discovery is an extremely challenging process," says Chris Moy, Scientific Director of Oncology, Data Science & Digital Health, R&D at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine. "By applying AI, we can advance the most promising drug candidates into clinical development, with the goal of improving the probability of successfully bringing a drug to market and rapidly getting new treatments to the patients who need them the most.”
AI is also instrumental in optimizing clinical trial recruitment. Johnson & Johnson is using AI and machine learning algorithms to identify potential clinical research sites and diversify patient populations, ensuring that clinical trials are more inclusive and representative. "Our goal is to leverage the power of AI to bring trials to more patients, rather than waiting for patients to come to us," says Nicole Turner, Senior Director of Global Development, Data Science & Digital Health, R&D at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine.
Personalizing Patient Care
AI is empowering healthcare professionals to deliver more personalized and targeted treatments. By analyzing genomic and clinical data, AI can identify patients who may benefit from specific therapies. For instance, Johnson & Johnson is developing an AI-powered biomarker test to detect FGFR alterations in bladder cancer patients, enabling personalized treatment strategies. "Treatment for oncology patients is becoming increasingly more personalized," says Kris Standish, Senior Director of AI/ML and Computer Vision for R&D at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine. "Our goal is to leverage AI to find ways to help ensure patients can be connected with these tailored treatments.”
Optimizing the Healthcare Supply Chain
AI is playing a crucial role in ensuring that patients have timely access to essential healthcare products. Johnson & Johnson is leveraging AI-powered solutions to predict supply and demand fluctuations, optimize inventory management, and mitigate potential disruptions to the supply chain. "It's our responsibility to make sure patients and customers have reliable access to the transformational therapies our company creates," says Vishal Varma, Director of Supply Chain Digital & Data Science and Operations Research at Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. "AI is helping us build a stable, efficient and resilient supply chain so we can deliver on that obligation.”
AI with a Purpose
Johnson & Johnson's commitment to ethical AI implementation is unwavering. The company's Credo prioritizes patients and customers, guiding its AI initiatives towards responsible and beneficial outcomes. "When we use AI, it's always with a purpose," says Swanson. "Our Credo states that our patients and customers come first, and that will continue as we move forward with this