Vani Pathuri: AI Leader In A New Era Of Drug Safety As Pharma Embraces Smarter Pharmacovigilance

In a sector where the stakes often involve lives, the convergence of artificial intelligence and pharmacovigilance is quietly transforming how pharmaceutical companies ensure drug safety. Vani Pathuri has been actively involved in this transformation, whose work spans both regulatory compliance and advanced technology.

Reportedly, global pharmaceutical firms are increasingly leaning on AI and machine learning to modernize their drug safety operations. The result? Faster adverse event reporting, sharper signal detection, and significant efficiency gains. According to sources familiar with the matter, organizations that once relied solely on manual processes for monitoring side effects are now investing heavily in intelligent automation.

“AI and ML are no longer optional in pharmacovigilance—they are essential tools for handling data at modern scales,” said Vani Pathuri, who has led safety operations at major firms such as Johnson & Johnson, Takeda, and Purdue Pharmaceuticals.

Pathuri’s portfolio includes the implementation of AI signal detection frameworks using natural language processing (NLP) to scan spontaneous reports and even social media chatter for potential adverse drug reactions (ADRs). As per the reports, such initiatives have achieved a 40% improvement in signal detection accuracy.

One of her notable contributions involves deploying AI-based triaging systems that Reported improvements include reductions in manual triage workload, enabling teams to focus their attention on high-risk cases. “We’ve seen a 35% increase in case processing speed and a dramatic drop in error rates—close to 30–40%—with the use of automated quality checks,” Pathuri shared.

Coming from the expert’s table, another key area of innovation has been NLP-driven quality control filters. These tools have helped address the challenge of inconsistent ADR reports by standardizing narratives and ensuring higher data integrity. “It was a critical move, especially in scenarios where patient-reported outcomes are often messy or incomplete,” Pathuri explained.

Additionally, her work in regulatory inspection readiness—often a gray zone for AI-led systems—has reportedly been pivotal. Pathuri has helped teams successfully pass audits from stringent bodies such as the FDA and EMA by designing AI systems with transparent audit trails and compliance-aligned documentation.

Industry insiders say that while these technologies are gaining ground, challenges still remain. Notably, algorithmic bias—often stemming from limited or homogeneous datasets—posed a significant hurdle. Pathuri addressed this by working closely with data science teams to expand training datasets with real-world evidence, thereby making predictive models more inclusive and accurate.

As per the available figures, the impact of her contributions has been quantifiable. Automated systems under her guidance have supported regulatory submission readiness with over 95% accuracy, while also contributing to faster ADR detection timelines—an improvement that directly benefits patient safety.

Experts in the domain agree that the next phase of growth in pharmacovigilance will come from a shift to predictive, real-time surveillance. “There’s a noticeable transition from reactive to proactive pharmacovigilance,” said Pathuri. “With the rise of real-time data analytics, we’re not just catching issues—we’re beginning to anticipate them.”

Among the published works reflecting this vision is her research article titled Revolutionizing Drug Safety: The Role of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Pharmacovigilance, released under Nexpro Technologies Inc. Her upcoming works are expected to explore AI applications in COVID-19 vaccine surveillance and oncology pharmacovigilance.

From a regulatory standpoint, experts including Pathuri believe the future lies in explainable AI (XAI), which ensures that decision-making algorithms remain interpretable and transparent. “We cannot remove the human element from pharmacovigilance,” she noted. “But we can empower it—with speed, scale, and precision.”

As global health systems push for more agile responses to drug safety challenges, contributions from professionals like Vani Pathuri influencing ongoing practices. In an age where data informs decisions, her work highlights how AI can support both public health and pharmaceutical operations.

About Vani Pathuri

Vani Pathuri holds a academic foundation in healthcare and business, beginning with a nursing degree from Owaisi College of Nursing in Hyderabad, India. She furthered her education in the United States, earning a Master’s in Healthcare Administration from Huntington, West Virginia, followed by a Professional MBA from Louisville, Kentucky. With over a decade of experience in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors, Vani has worked in various pharmacovigilance roles across companies like Unicon Pharma, Nexpro Technologies Inc., Mirati Therapeutics, and Arisglobal. Her work primarily involves drug safety, focusing on report creation, regulatory submissions, and managing adverse event data.

In her current role at Nexpro Technologies Inc., based in King of Prussia, PA, she works on opioid products, oversees safety report submissions, and collaborates with vendors to ensure compliance. Vani has authored 20 articles in her field and received several recognitions for her contributions, including awards for her insights on AI in pharmacovigilance.