AI cuts early cancer drug discovery from 8 years to 3 months: Dr Siddhartha Mukherjee

Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, oncologist and co-founder of Manas AI, revealed at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2026 that AI has reduced the timeline for early-stage cancer drug discovery from approximately eight years to just three to four months. Manas AI utilizes machine learning and principles of physics and chemistry to identify weak points on disease-causing proteins and construct new drug molecules from atoms.

This approach eliminates the need to test billions of existing chemicals. For instance, identifying a target spot on a pancreatic cancer protein, which previously took human researchers a decade, now takes Manas AI's algorithms only two hours. By integrating AI molecular design with automated robotic lab testing, the company completes each design-and-test cycle within three weeks, producing experimental cancer candidates that are up to 200 times stronger than current competitor drugs.

However, Dr. Mukherjee emphasized that cancer is biologically diverse, and while progress has been made against specific cancers like breast cancer, leukemia, and lymphoma, complex diseases such as pancreatic and stomach cancers remain significant challenges. The expert also stressed that accelerating early lab discovery at Manas AI is only a partial solution, as human clinical trials, manufacturing, and regulatory approvals still entail years and elevated costs.

To address this, Dr. Mukherjee advocated for India and China to streamline testing regulations without compromising safety, asserting that these nations have the potential to reverse Eroom's Law through regulatory and technological reforms.