Advances in data, artificial intelligence, and digital technologies are transforming pharmaceutical R&D, yet they are often presented separately from the scientific and operational processes that bring new medicines to patients. This book brings these perspectives together. It follows the full pharmaceutical R&D value chain — from target discovery through pre-clinical and clinical development to regulatory approval and patient safety — and shows how scientific understanding, business processes, data, AI, and digital architecture combine to support modern drug development. Written for scientists, technologists, architects, and leaders across the pharmaceutical industry, it provides an integrated framework for understanding how AI, data, and digital strategy are reshaping the discovery, development, and delivery of new medicines.

Hassan Abba is Head of R&D and Rare Disease Unit Architecture at AstraZeneca, leading the architectural vision for the company's AI, data, and digital solutions. Prior to joining AstraZeneca, he spent his career driving large-scale digital transformation and IT strategy across Sky, Vodafone, and Royal Mail. He holds a BEng in Software Engineering from the University of Manchester and an MBA from Henley Business School.

Naveed Shaikh is Senior Director of R&D Strategy and Enterprise Architecture at AstraZeneca, where he leads the R&D enterprise architecture function, driving transformation across pharmaceutical R&D through AI, data, and digital technologies. Prior to joining AstraZeneca, he spent more than a decade in senior technical and leadership roles at Eli Lilly. He holds a BSc in Computer Science from GIK Institute and a Master of Computing from the National University of Singapore.