• Roche demonstrates first place leadership by advancing evidence into patient access with FDA clearances and Breakthrough Designation in NSCLC

• AstraZeneca secures second place for the second year running and its ninth year within the top 10, with ongoing investment and expansion of partnerships

• The Digital Innovation Index, now in its 10th year, shows a marked acceleration in digital innovation within biopharma and growing evidence of value creation through novel approaches and collaborations
• See the full results at www.ideapharma.com/pii

Tuesday, November 4th, 2025, Boston, MA – Today, the annual Pharmaceutical Digital Innovation Index, a partnership between IDEA Pharma, a Division of SAI, and the Collaborating for Novel Solutions (CNS) Summit, was revealed at the Summit in Boston. The Index evaluates and ranks the top 10 biopharmaceutical companies on the meaningful and innovative application of digital solutions within the industry. Specifically, the Index focuses on three facets of innovation: technology advancement, trial optimization, and innovative partnerships.

The Index, now in its tenth year, reveals diverse approaches across the pharmaceutical sector to adopting and harnessing digital innovation. This year marks a shift in momentum, as biopharma companies move from promise to proof. What distinguishes the current period from previous years is repeatability; establishment of platforms vs. pilots, validated digital endpoints vs. exploratory ad hoc surrogates, and operating models that reduce time from hypothesis to decision.

Mike Rea, Head of Strategy and Thought Leadership at SAI, and an industry pioneer of innovation, commented, “A decade since it first launched, the CNS Digital Innovation Index continues to uncover the industry’s key trends and successful applications of digital innovation. This past year marks a real shift in digital innovation in biopharma – from the familiar promise of progress to actual change reshaping how the industry delivers wins for patients. Digital is no longer a bolt-on or a one-off pilot; it is truly embedded in all aspects of businesses, from discovery to delivery. In particular, this year we see generative AI behind discovery like never before, AI workflows that strip out the inefficiencies in clinical timelines, medicines paired with prescription-grade software to extend their reach, and remote monitoring at scale that’s turning decentralized trials from ‘nice-to-have’ into the default. The industry has woken up to what is possible, and we look forward to seeing the long-lasting dividends that true integration of digital innovation pays and its impact on patient lives.”

Dr. Amir Kalali, CEO of the CNS Summit, stated, “The CNS Summit has always fostered and recognized digital and R&D innovation. We are pleased to continue to support this independent effort to benchmark the performance of life science companies.”

Roche cements its leadership in the field of digital innovation, coming in first place for the second consecutive year and marking its fourth first place finish in five years. The company’s impressive commercial and clinical profile is reflected in its first-place ranking (with AstraZeneca) in commercial, third in clinical, and ninth in research. This distribution underscores disciplined market execution and steady operational innovation, backed by consistent research performance within the top 10.

Roche’s first place was underpinned by FDA 510(k) clearance enabling laboratories to use digital slides for routine primary diagnosis, as well as FDA Breakthrough status for an AI-based computational pathology companion diagnostic in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Roche’s imaging-AI deployments (Qure.ai) are expanding imaging capacity and supporting radiologist referrals, while care-navigation tools developed with Telstra Health integrate referrals, appointments, and test results. Both initiatives demonstrate Roche’s ability to embed AI into clinical workflows rather than standalone pilots.

AstraZeneca also repeated its success of the previous year, coming in second place for the second year running. The company ranked joint first (with Roche) in commercial and first in research, but ranked lower in clinical, coming in 17th place. The distribution reflects AstraZeneca’s strong front-end discovery capabilities and large-scale market-facing execution, while clinical operations remain the most significant opportunity to close the loop from hypothesis to evidence.

Within the last year, AstraZeneca has developed MILTON, an AI system trained on large-scale health records that aims to predict over 1,000 diseases before diagnosis, supporting earlier risk detection. In digital pathology, the company partnered with Lunit and Mindpeak to develop AI-powered risk assessment and image analysis tools for NSCLC, improving diagnostic precision and patient stratification. The company has invested heavily in AI partnerships, aiming not only to speed up cancer drug development but also to create diagnostics that can catch it earlier. AstraZeneca has also been a consistent player in the Index since its inception.

Additional top-ranking firms in the Index include Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer, and Johnson and Johnson, all of whom have maintained a presence in the top 10 over the past nine years by consistently driving innovation in this field. Sanofi climbed from seventh place to third place this year, driven by a balanced across-the-board performance. The full Digital Innovation Index can be found here: www.ideapharma.com/pii and further information about the CNS Summit can be found here https://cnssummit.org/innovation-index/

About CNS Summit

The CNS Summit was created by life science leaders to advance clinical development, with a focus on collaboration, innovation, and technology. The CNS Summit is a community of innovators and industry leaders who are not afraid to challenge the status quo. The CNS Summit convenes 1000+ decision-makers from organizations involved in clinical development, healthcare innovation, regulatory authorities, investigator sites, and service companies.

About IDEA Pharma, a Division of SAI

IDEA Pharma, a division of SAI, is a global practice, recognized as the leading experts in pharmaceutical innovation, path-to-market strategy, and applied innovation. IDEA Pharma was acquired by SAI in November 2024, and as part of the wider portfolio of companies, is able to offer additional capabilities, including Market Research, Market Access and Pricing, and Competitor Intelligence. IDEA Pharma is based in both the UK and the US, with offices in London and New York.

To learn more about IDEA Pharma, visit https://www.ideapharma.com or follow on LinkedIn, X, Instagram