Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Dr Anil Kane Discusses How AI and Strategic Partnerships Are Reshaping Contract Drug Development at BIO 2026

As BioPharm International® caught up with Anil Kane, PhD, global head of technical and scientific affairs within the Pharma Services Group of Thermo Fisher Scientific, at the 2026 BIO International Convention (BIO 2026), Dr Kane outlined how the company is applying artificial intelligence (AI) across contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) workflows, from preclinical through commercialization. He also describes what biotech companies should prioritize when selecting a CDMO partner.

According to Dr Kane, the company has established strategic partnerships to support AI integration across its service workflows. He explains that the company is combining external expertise with in-house machine learning algorithms and predictive models built on proprietary datasets accumulated over years of development work. AI applications in those workflows span preclinical and clinical phases, quality management systems, supply chain operations, and contract processing.

What should biotech companies prioritize when choosing a CDMO partner for AI-enabled drug development?

Dr Kane identifies regulatory experience, a quality track record, and scientific expertise across modalities as the core criteria for CDMO selection. He highlights the value of a single organization capable of supporting small molecules, biologics, messenger RNA, and viral vectors across the full development and commercialization spectrum.

"I think creating value and enhancing the value of their assets is something that a small biotech company should be looking at while selecting a CDMO player," he says.

Dr Kane also notes that AI has already demonstrated measurable gains in speed and efficiency at multiple development stages, while acknowledging that certain applications will require more time to mature. He says the near-term focus has been on accessible applications, or what he describes as "low-hanging fruit," with more complex integrations to follow. For biotech companies pursuing out-licensing strategies, he adds, a capable CDMO partner can directly enhance asset value.

BIO 2026 runs June 22–25 in San Diego.

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About the speaker

Anil Kane, PhD, Global Head, Technical and Scientific Affairs, Thermo Fisher Scientific

Dr Kane has more than 25 years of experience in the science and business of taking molecules through the entire drug development process, spanning early-stage development to scale-up and commercial manufacturing and includes technical transfers between global sites and drug life cycle management. Dr Kane received his Bachelors, Masters, and PhD degrees from the Bombay College of Pharmacy, University of Bombay, India, and served as a post-doctoral fellow at the School of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati, Ohio. He has also earned an executive Master of Business Administration degree from Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario, Canada. Dr Kane is a member of various international pharmaceutical professional organizations and is often asked to speak about scientific topics on formulation, technology, and other technical aspects at major industry events. He has also published many articles in international journals and delivered many talks at meetings and conferences across the globe.