2025-12-02

In this exclusive interview, Saravanan Sadaiyappan, Senior Director and Head of Healthcare & Life Sciences at iLink Digital, discusses how the company is helping pharmaceutical organisations harness AI and data-driven platforms to tackle some of their most pressing challenges. From accelerating drug discovery and optimising clinical trials to strengthening supply chains and improving patient engagement, he shares insights into iLink’s transformative work, its collaboration with regulators, and the future opportunities for AI-driven disruption in the pharma industry.

Q. Can you explain how iLink is helping pharmaceutical companies solve their most pressing business problems today?

Saravanan Sadaiyappan: Pharma companies and the healthcare sector, more broadly, operate within a complex, siloed data landscape that has evolved over time. The previous attempts at unification have largely been reactive, focused on addressing gaps retroactively. However, organisations are now recognising the need to shift from being reactive to being responsive, especially in the face of constant political, economic, and technological changes. Achieving this requires agility and nimbleness, which, in turn, calls for a unified data layer that spans all business domains. iLink is supporting pharma companies in building this unified data layer, enabling them to be truly AI-ready.  

Q. What specific areas within the pharma value chain (R&D, clinical trials, manufacturing, supply chain, marketing, patient engagement, etc.) are you currently focusing on?

Saravanan Sadaiyappan: iLink collaborates with clients across multiple stages of the pharmaceutical value chain, including R&D, clinical trials, manufacturing, and supply chain management. Currently, our primary focus is on two key areas: first, developing advanced digital platforms that enable researchers to accelerate and streamline their R&D initiatives; and second, implementing AI-driven workflows that enhance visibility, efficiency, and resilience in supply chain operations. Through these initiatives, we help pharmaceutical companies drive innovation while ensuring operational excellence.    

Q. Could you share some success stories or case studies where your AI/ML solutions made a tangible impact for pharma clients? 

Saravanan Sadaiyappan: iLink has delivered impactful AI/ML solutions for the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, addressing critical needs across engagement, decision-making, and operations. These include Speech-To-Text (STT) workflows powered by custom-developed ambient AI models that extract actionable insights from patient-physician conversations, enabling more informed clinical and business strategies. Moreover, we have also implemented next-best-action recommendation systems that analyse historical practitioner interactions to guide sales representatives in delivering more relevant and timely engagement. In addition to this, our computer vision-based inventory tracking solutions have helped hospitals improve visibility into supplies, minimise outages, and ensure continuity of patient care.

Q. What unique challenges within the pharma industry (e.g., regulatory compliance, data privacy, fragmented healthcare ecosystems) do you see AI/ML being best suited to address?

Saravanan Sadaiyappan: One of the key challenges facing the pharmaceutical industry is justifying the high cost of novel drugs, which is largely driven by the lengthy R&D cycle and an even more extended clinical trial phase. AI can play a transformative role in addressing both of these areas. For instance, custom-developed Large Language Models (LLMs) can analyse vast volumes of research data to identify potential drug candidates more efficiently, significantly reducing the time required for early-stage discovery. Similarly, by leveraging real-world evidence from patient treatment data, AI makes it possible to identify suitable trial participants more quickly and accurately, considering both clinical and non-clinical parameters, thereby helping to shorten clinical trial timelines.  

Q. How do you see AI/ML shaping the future of the pharma industry?

Saravanan Sadaiyappan: AI and ML are set to fundamentally transform the pharmaceutical industry by accelerating drug discovery, optimising clinical trials, and enabling more precise, data-driven decision-making. These technologies will also enhance patient outcomes through predictive analytics, personalised treatment plans, and real-time monitoring, while improving operational efficiency across manufacturing, supply chains, and regulatory compliance. By integrating AI/ML across the value chain, pharma companies can innovate faster, reduce costs, and bring therapies to market more effectively.

Q. Are you collaborating with regulatory bodies to ensure the safe use of AI in pharma?

Saravanan Sadaiyappan: Yes, we actively collaborate with regulators, think tanks, industry associations, and data communities to promote the safe and responsible use of AI, while also encouraging early adoption. This is particularly critical in the pharmaceutical sector, where the outcomes of AI-driven workflows directly impact patients’ lives, and ensuring safety is paramount. At the same time, it is important not to let concerns around risk stifle innovation. Many AI solutions have the potential to be true game changers, provided they are developed and deployed responsibly. Achieving this balance requires collaboration over competition and a willingness to iterate, rather than waiting for a perfect solution.

Q. Where do you see the biggest opportunities for AI-driven disruption in pharma over the next five to 10 years? 

Saravanan Sadaiyappan: AI is driving a tectonic shift across the pharmaceutical value chain, and over the next five to 10 years, the biggest opportunities lie in accelerating drug discovery through faster R&D candidate analysis, transforming clinical trial management with smarter patient identification and monitoring, leveraging longitudinal health data to measure drug efficacy more effectively, and enabling seamless knowledge sharing among stakeholders to reduce silos and accelerate innovation. Moreover, AI will also play a key role in improving operational efficiency across manufacturing and supply chains, while enhancing patient engagement through personalised treatment pathways.  

Q. What are iLink’s key strategic priorities and growth plans within the pharma and life sciences sector?

Saravanan Sadaiyappan: iLink’s strategic priorities in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector focus on helping clients excel through people, processes, and technology. We build teams with the right skills, establish robust governance and delivery frameworks, and develop solutions that address current needs while improving over time with incoming data. This approach drives a structural shift in how we operate, deliver products, and collaborate with our partner ecosystem. Ultimately, our goal is to enable clients to innovate faster, make data-driven decisions, and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving industry.