Will AI and digital twins make animal testing in drug discovery obsolete with Professor Julie Frearson

About this episode

The episode discusses how AI and digital twins are transforming drug discovery and the potential impact on animal testing.

AI and digital twins are redrawing the boundaries of drug discovery. Once defined by lab benches, animal studies, and years of trial and error, the field is now embracing virtual methodologies that promise faster, safer, and more precise innovation. But could these technologies ever make animal testing obsolete? In this episode of Tech Tomorrow , David Elliman speaks with Professor Julie Frearson, SVP and Chief Scientific Officer at Charles River Laboratories, about how artificial intelligence is transforming early-stage drug discovery. Julie explains how AI is already accelerating small-molecule design and enabling the use of virtual control animals, reducing the need for live testing without compromising scientific integrity. They also unpack the growing challenges of explainability, bias, and regulation in AI-driven science. From ensuring transparency and accountability in complex models to understanding how regulators like the FDA are beginning to accept hybrid data sets that combine in vivo results with AI predictions, the discussion balances optimism with realism in a rapidly evolving field. Ultimately, Professor Julie and David agree that while AI is reshaping discovery…

People in this episode

Host: David Elliman

Guest: Professor Julie Frearson

Topics covered

• AI in drug discovery
• digital twins
• animal testing
• virtual methodologies
• scientific integrity
• regulation in AI

Keywords

• AI
• digital twins
• drug discovery
• animal testing
• virtual control animals
• scientific integrity
• explainability
• bias
• regulation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Charles River Laboratories, FDA

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