Pharma companies have started using Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) in a few areas. Applications include training manufacturing personnel and supporting equipment-related work and troubleshooting, as well as scientific visualization and professional education.
With VR, users work inside a computer-generated setting, usually through a headset. AR takes a different approach. It keeps the real surroundings visible and adds useful digital information to them. VR and AR are both part of the wider Extended Reality (XR) space.
In pharma, VR is useful when people need to practise a task in a simulated setting before doing it in real conditions. AR can support the same work by showing guidance while the task is actually being carried out.
How VR and AR Are Used in the Pharmaceutical Industry
VR and AR can support different activities across pharmaceutical manufacturing, training, research and education. Their use depends largely on whether the task requires a simulated environment or digital assistance within the real working environment.
VR Training in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
With VR, a manufacturing site can be rebuilt digitally, giving staff a place to practise procedures before they step into a controlled area or operate real equipment.
Training of this kind can cover cleanroom protocols, aseptic technique, equipment handling and a range of other production tasks. The simulation is separate from the real plant, so a trainee can go through the same task several times and correct errors along the way, with no effect on production.
Takeda, for example, uses VR for cleanroom-operator training and allows trainees to practise cleanroom protocols and equipment handling with feedback before working in the live environment.
Augmented Reality in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
AR can assist employees while they are working with actual equipment. Digital instructions or equipment information can be displayed in the workspace to guide employees through a procedure.
AR can also support troubleshooting and remote technical assistance. An expert working from another location can view the equipment and guide the employee on-site through the required steps.
Pfizer has documented using AR cameras to troubleshoot equipment remotely and train employees in areas such as safety, protocols and equipment use. Takeda has also used AR for visual instructions and remote expert support in manufacturing.
Healthcare Professional and Patient Education
Immersive technologies can also be used to present complex medical and scientific information in more interactive formats.
XR experiences can allow healthcare professionals to explore disease states in three dimensions, interact with virtual patient scenarios and engage with scientific information in context.
AR can also support patient or caregiver education through interactive awareness experiences. GSK India, for example, has used an AR-based experience to help parents understand the importance of second-year vaccination.
Drug Discovery and Molecular Visualization
VR can support molecular visualization during early drug research.
Researchers can examine three-dimensional protein structures, potential drug molecules and interactions between a molecule and its biological target. This can make complex structural information easier to visualize and discuss within research teams.
Novartis has documented the use of VR in drug design, where researchers were able to explore protein structures and examine how potential drug molecules interact with their targets.
Benefits of VR and AR in Pharma
VR and AR can offer practical benefits when they are used for suitable pharmaceutical tasks.
- Lower-risk, repeatable training: Staff can rehearse a procedure in VR as many times as needed, and only then move on to controlled production areas or real equipment.
- Less disruption to manufacturing operations: Training can take place without repeatedly using active production areas or interrupting ongoing manufacturing activities.
- Real-time guidance: AR can provide visual instructions while an employee is working with equipment.
- Remote technical support: AR can give an off-site expert a live view of the equipment, making it easier to talk an employee through a problem.
- Better visualization of complex information: VR can help researchers look at molecular structures and drug–target interactions in three dimensions.
Takeda’s VR program, for example, allows repeated cleanroom training without disrupting critical operations, while Pfizer has used AR for remote equipment troubleshooting.
Challenges of Implementing VR and AR in Pharma
Adopting VR and AR in pharmaceutical operations is not without its difficulties.
The first is cost and setup. A company that buys headsets or AR devices still needs suitable software, and it may also need custom content for the particular manufacturing, training or research task it wants to support.
Staff also need time to get used to the equipment. Until people know how to operate the devices and apps with confidence, the technology is unlikely to become part of normal work. In a regulated industry like pharma, there is the further question of how VR or AR training fits with the learning systems, training records and quality procedures a site already uses.
Once use spreads beyond a small pilot, managing the devices becomes a task in itself. Each one has to be configured and maintained, technical issues have to be handled, and the content needs to stay consistent between users and sites.
Comfort is another issue. Not everyone responds well to a head-mounted display, and some users may experience fatigue, dizziness, visual discomfort or strain in the head and neck.
These factors need to be considered when deciding where VR or AR will provide practical value.
Pharmaceutical Companies Using VR and AR
Several pharmaceutical companies have documented the use of VR, AR or broader XR technologies in manufacturing, training, research and education.
Takeda
Takeda uses VR to train operators for cleanroom environments, including cleanroom protocols and equipment handling. It also uses AR to provide visual instructions in the workspace and support collaboration between on-site employees and remote experts.
Pfizer
Pfizer documented using AR during vaccine manufacturing operations to support equipment troubleshooting and employee training. Remote engineers were able to view equipment on the factory floor and guide on-site employees when technical assistance was required.
Novartis
Novartis has explored VR for molecular visualization during drug design and currently uses immersive XR experiences for healthcare professional education. Its XR initiatives allow HCPs to explore disease states in three dimensions and interact with virtual patient scenarios.
GSK
GSK India has implemented VR to support training on electrical and mechanical lockout/tagout procedures and isolator operation for potent APIs. It has also used AR in HCP engagement and, more recently, in vaccination-awareness initiatives for parents.
Conclusion
VR and AR are moving beyond pilot projects and are now being used in several pharmaceutical settings. Manufacturing training and equipment support are among the more clearly documented uses, while companies are also using these technologies for remote assistance, 3D molecular visualization and professional education.
VR works well when people need to practise or explore something in a simulated setting. AR is more useful during real-world work, where it can add instructions or other digital information as the task is being carried out.
These technologies can improve how certain tasks are trained, visualized and supported, but their value depends on selecting the right application and integrating the technology properly into existing pharmaceutical processes.
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FAQs
1. Can VR and AR be used in GMP-regulated pharmaceutical environments?
Yes. VR and AR can be used in GMP-regulated pharmaceutical environments when they are incorporated appropriately into the company’s training, quality and documentation processes.
Training records, approved procedures and applicable GMP requirements still need to be followed. Using VR or AR does not by itself make a process GMP compliant.
2. What is the difference between VR and AR in pharma?
VR places the user inside a simulated digital environment. In pharma, it can be used for activities such as manufacturing training and molecular visualization.
AR keeps the real environment visible and adds digital information that can support equipment guidance, troubleshooting and remote assistance.
3. What is Extended Reality or XR in pharma?
Extended Reality, or XR, is a broad term used for immersive technologies such as VR and AR. In pharma, XR can cover applications in training, manufacturing support, visualization and professional education.
4. Is Mixed Reality the same as VR and AR?
Not exactly. Mixed Reality generally refers to digital content being integrated with the physical environment so that digital elements can appear within and interact with the user’s surroundings.
VR, AR and MR are related immersive technologies, but the terms should not be treated as interchangeable.
5. What devices are used for VR and AR?
For VR, the main piece of equipment is usually a headset. AR can be used through a phone, tablet, smart glasses or another head-mounted device. The exact setup depends on what the technology is being used for.
