New Delhi, Nov. 14 -- Artificial intelligence (AI) is compressing early-stage cancer drug discovery from nearly eight years down to three or four months, according to Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, an oncologist and co-founder and CEO of Manas AI, an American drug discovery startup.

Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2026 in New Delhi on Saturday, Dr. Mukherjee said healthcare is the single most critical proving ground for AI. For decades, the pharmaceutical sector has faced rising development costs alongside fewer new drug approvals-a trend known as Eroom's Law.

To reverse rising drug costs, Manas AI combines machine learning with basic rules of physics and chemistry. Instead of testing billions of existing chemicals one by o...