How can quantum computing be applied in clinical trial design and optimization?

Journal: Trends in pharmacological sciences
PMID:

Abstract

Clinical trials are necessary for assessing the safety and efficacy of treatments. However, trial timelines are severely delayed with minimal success due to a multitude of factors, including imperfect trial site selection, cohort recruitment challenges, lack of efficacy, absence of reliable biomarkers, etc. Each of these factors possesses a unique computational challenge, such as data management, trial simulations, statistical analyses, and trial optimization. Recent advancements in quantum computing offer a promising opportunity to overcome these hurdles. In this opinion we uniquely explore the application of quantum optimization and quantum machine learning (QML) to the design and execution of clinical trials. We examine the current capabilities and limitations of quantum computing and outline its potential to streamline clinical trials.

Authors

  • Hakan Doga
    IBM Quantum, Almaden Research Center, San Jose, CA, USA. Electronic address: hakandoga@ibm.com.
  • Aritra Bose
    Computational Genomics, IBM Research, Yorktown Heights, NY, USA.
  • M Emre Sahin
    The Hartree Centre, STFC, Sci-Tech Daresbury, Warrington, UK.
  • Joao Bettencourt-Silva
    IBM Research Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
  • Anh Pham
    Deloitte Consulting LLP, Atlanta, GA, USA.
  • Eunyoung Kim
    School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Buk-gu, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea.
  • Alan Andress
    Deloitte Consulting LLP, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
  • Sudhir Saxena
    GNQ Insilico Inc., Pleasanton, CA, USA.
  • Laxmi Parida
    Computational Genomics, IBM Research, Yorktown Heights, NY, USA.
  • Jan Lukas Robertus
    Imperial College London and Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, London, UK.
  • Hideaki Kawaguchi
    Keio University, Yokohama, Japan.
  • Radwa Soliman
    GNQ Insilico Inc., Boston, MA, USA.
  • Daniel Blankenberg
    Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.