Google and Sanofi to join forces on data technologies

Alphabet’s Google will bring its artificial-intelligence and cloud-computing capabilities to a new partnership with pharma giant Sanofi.

The project is aimed at accelerating the discovery of new medicines, increasing the understanding of what treatments work for patients and making Sanofi’s operations more efficient, the Paris-based drugmaker said in a statement Tuesday. The companies didn’t provide financial details.

Also See: How does Google want to apply artificial intelligence in healthcare?

The pact is the latest sign of increasing collaboration between the technology and healthcare industries. Pharma companies like Sanofi are teaming up with AI specialists, hiring data scientists or even snapping up tech startups in a bid to become faster and more efficient as costs rise.

The new partnership will enable Sanofi to develop more personalized approaches to treatment, the company said. The drugmaker and Google also plan to apply artificial intelligence to forecast sales and improve marketing and supply efforts.