HHS Launches AI Program to Cut Drug Trial Costs by 10x

The Department of Health and Human Services and ARPA-H have created SURPASS, an initiative using artificial intelligence to streamline clinical trials and reduce expenditures. The program will test automation to reduce operational delays, real-time analysis during active trials, and "phaseless" trial designs that require fewer patients. Selected teams will receive funding and support over five years, and the FDA is contributing to the program's design.

HHS estimates that current drug development takes more than a decade, costs around $2B per drug, and has a failure rate exceeding 90%. ARPA-H targets a new framework that cuts these development costs by up to 10x and reduces timelines by at least half.