Chief information officers at pharmaceutical companies say the metaverse could soon play a role in their business practices, The Wall Street Journal reported Jan. 10.
The Wall Street Journal interviewed three drugmakers to weigh in on this new digital frontier, an immersive, virtual reality-powered world.
Paul von Autenried, CIO of New York City-based Bristol-Myers Squibb, told The Wall Street Journal that scientists would benefit from the metaverse.
"We have scientists doing real work in laboratories with beakers and chemicals, and their ability to do their work and free up their hands is very valuable," he said. "The metaverse for me triggers an avalanche of thoughts and technology in the space of augmented reality and sort of technology that lies at the intersection of human physical interaction and what could be done with digital innovation."
Dave Williams, CIO of Kenilworth, N.J.-based Merck & Co., said the possibilities of the metaverse are endless.
"We've got some really good examples in our environment of how we leverage those existing technologies, especially during the pandemic, to connect experts who are in very different parts of the world," Mr. Williams told the Journal. "I see that can be a huge opportunity in terms of connecting people, learning, development."
Mark Spykerman, CIO of Conshohocken, Pa.-based AmerisourceBergen, concurred that the metaverse would play a role in business.