Next-Gen Drug Discovery: Quantum and AI Synergy in Regulatory Context
Abstract
The integration of Artificial intelligence (AI) and Quantum computing (QC) is redefining the future of pharmaceutical research and development.While AI-particularly Machine learning (ML) and deep learning-accelerates target identification, virtual screening, and de novo drug design, it often suffers from interpretability issues, data bias, and limited mechanistic understanding.Conversely, QC leverages quantum mechanics to achieve unprecedented accuracy in molecular simulations, yet remains restricted by noise, limited qubits in the Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) era, and high costs.Emerging hybrid quantum-classical algorithms and Quantum Machine Learning (QML) approaches bridge these gaps, enabling high-fidelity in silico drug discovery workflows.Despite these advances, the regulatory environment has not kept pace.Current frameworks, such as Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelling and Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) models, provide limited guidance for validating complex AI-QC systems.Challenges include the lack of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI), uncertainty in verifying quantum outputs, data integrity, and accountability in hybrid pipelines.These gaps highlight the urgent need for regulatory science to adopt dynamic validation frameworks, algorithmic audits, and international harmonization.This review critically examines the technological and regulatory dimensions of AI-QC synergy in drug discovery, outlining key…
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