E164 | AI for automating clinical trial processes and optimizing clinical trial design - that excels even with rare condition trials

In this must-listen episode of AI for Business Growth, host Dr. Andre Bates is joined by Damond Rasheed, Executive Director at Opyl (makers of Trial Key, an AI SaaS platform for clinical trial design). Together, they unpack how artificial intelligence is transforming rare disease clinical trials, solving real-world bottlenecks in patient recruitment, adaptive trial design, and biostatistical validation using advanced machine learning models and real-world evidence (RWE).Damond shares candid insights from his journey—starting as a card-counting economist turned AI innovator—and details how AI can simulate and optimize clinical trial outcomes, even with limited datasets, fragmented information, or under-researched rare diseases.Learn how platforms like Trial Key are helping biotech and pharma companies:Predict clinical trial success probabilitiesOptimize patient cohort sizes and timelinesIntegrate digital biomarkers and real-world data for better decision-makingAddress ethical considerations and data biasExpand globally across the US, UK, and beyondWhether you're a clinical research professional, digital health entrepreneur, AI data scientist, or healthcare investor, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways on leveraging AI to reduce costs, shorten trial timelines, and increase approval success—especially in rare and complex disease landscapes.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:How AI models predict clinical trial success with high accuracy (AUC ~0.8)Why rare disease trials benefit disproportionately from AI optimizationChallenges in accessing high-quality patient-level dataThe ethical imperative of simulating trials before involving human patientsHow language models like ChatGPT are being used to analyze unstructured clinical trial dataAI vs. traditional power tests in enrollment planningUse of synthetic data to reduce bias in training datasetsHow Opal is driving trial innovation globally from Australia to the US and UKAbout the Podcast: AI for Business Growth  is a podcast focused on exploring how artificial intelligence can revolutionise healthcare by addressing disparities and creating equitable systems. Join us as we unpack groundbreaking technologies, real-world applications, and expert insights to inspire a healthier, more equitable future.This show brings together leading experts and change-makers to demystify AI and show how it’s being used to transform healthcare. Whether you're in the medical field, technology sector, or just curious about AI’s role in social good, this podcast offers valuable insights.AI For Business Growth is the podcast from pioneering Pharma Artificial Intelligence entrepreneur Dr. Andree Bates created to help organisations understand how the use of AI based technologies can easily save them time and grow their brands and business. This show blends deep experience in the sector with demystifying AI for all pharma people, from start up biotech right through to Big Pharma. In this podcast Dr Andree will teach you the tried and true secrets to building a pharma company using AI that anyone can use, at any budget. As the author of many peer-reviewed journals and having addressed over 500 industry conferences across the globe, Dr Andree Bates uses her obsession with all things AI and futuretech to help you to navigate through the, sometimes confusing but, magical world of AI powered tools to grow pharma businesses. This podcast features many experts who have developed powerful AI powered tools that are the secret behind some time saving and supercharged revenue generating business results. Those who share their stories and expertise show how AI can be applied to sales, marketing, production, social media, psychology, customer insights and so much more. Dr. Andree Bates LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter