CARY – SAS has secured a nearly $50 million contract with the US Food and Drug Administration to use artificial intelligence and other advanced tools to make sure drugs are safe for human use.

The FDA has been a longtime customer of SAS. The $49.9 million “blanket purchase agreement” covers five years.

SAS will utilize AI, machine learning and natural language processing tools through is Viya cloud platform to assist the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research to:

  • Advance CDER’s initiative to modernize drug regulatory programs.
  • Provide analytically driven drug manufacturing facility surveillance.
  • Better fulfill the center’s mission through other key initiatives.

“We are in a new era of drug regulation,” said SAS CEO Jim Goodnight in a statement. “By unleashing the power of SAS’ most advanced technologies, we can work together to help the FDA find the perfect combination of speed, efficacy and safety when it comes to getting lifesaving drugs to Americans.”

Just last week, SAS, looking to speed up artificial intelligence incorporation into data analytics and cloud computing as well as devices such as wearables, acquired UK-based Boemska.

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