Njabulo Skhosana, founder and CEO of CureRoot.

The integration of real-world patient data and artificial intelligence (AI) will significantly transform the future of drug discovery.

According to Njabulo Skhosana, the founder and CEO of CureRoot, a South African start-up, that uses technology, especially AI, to explore the potential of African medicinal plants for discovering new drugs.

CureRoot received an award for the Best Deep Tech and AI start-up at the recently held AfricArena Johannesburg Summit 2025, which recognised Africa's top rising start-ups for their innovative solutions.

Skhosana explains to ITWeb Africa that integrating real-world patient data and AI is vital for achieving a more nuanced understanding of a drug’s capabilities, leading to a deeper insight into its effectiveness.

He says: “This data, when combined with AI techniques, allows for a more comprehensive understanding of a drug's performance beyond controlled clinical trials. This patient data, specifically regarding drug side effects and patient satisfaction, will significantly transform future drug discovery.”

Moreover, Skhosana emphasises that Africa's biodiversity aligns with CureRoot's mission to utilize the continent's plants for discovering safer and more effective drugs efficiently with AI, starting in South Africa. 

In addition, he says AI plays a prominent role in speeding up the research and development (R&D) process.

“We use AI to speed up the R&D process and make it quicker for scientists to identify promising African medicinal plant derived drug candidates for diseases like cancer and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. We've identified several high-potential compounds from our approach that will soon validate through lab studies.”

Further, the accuracy of AI predictions is confirmed through the examination of chemicals extracted from plants in laboratory experiments. The use of AI also streamlines how R&D is conducted in the lab theoretically and practically, a huge driver of cost in these processes is how things are currently done in a highly manual way, said Skhosana.

Recent statistics show that the drug market is expected to reach $106.70 billion this year, with a potential to increase to $146.80 billion by 2030.

The implementation of AI systems in disease diagnostics and treatment design is expanding, with anticipated significant growth in the upcoming years.

Nevertheless, substantial capital investment, narrow profit margins, and stringent regulations in drug discovery are projected to impede market growth.

Skhosana also highlighted some of the challenges CureRoot faces as a start-up in Africa, including funding and team building.

“As a deep tech start-up in Africa, we face challenges in securing funding, accessing specialised resources, and building a team with the necessary expertise. We are addressing these by developing strategic partnerships and pursuing targeted investment opportunities.”

However, he notes that being recognised as the Best Deep Tech & AI start-up puts the company at an advantage for future funding and building partnerships.

“Winning the award significantly increases our visibility and credibility. It validates our innovative approach and strengthens our ability to attract investment and strategic partnerships.”