Certara Announces The Appointments Of Dr. Chris Bouton As Chief Technology Officer To Boost AI In Drug Discovery And Development

Certara, Inc., a global leader in model-informed drug development, has announced the appointment of Christopher Bouton, Ph.D., as its new Chief Technology Officer. In this role, Dr. Bouton will be responsible for shaping and advancing the company’s technology strategy, with a focus on developing a next-generation, integrated platform for model-informed drug development (MIDD). This platform will be built using generative AI and the latest advancements in biosimulation technology, with the aim of improving the speed, accuracy, and efficiency of drug discovery and development.

Dr. Bouton brings significant experience in applying artificial intelligence to life sciences. He previously founded Vyasa Analytics, a company specializing in scalable deep learning software capable of analyzing both structured and unstructured data. Vyasa was acquired by Certara in 2022 and has since played a key role in strengthening Certara’s software capabilities. Since joining Certara, Dr. Bouton has led the development of several AI-driven tools, including CoAuthor™, a generative AI product designed to assist in regulatory and medical writing tasks.

William F. Feehery, Chief Executive Officer, stated, “Chris is a visionary leader who combines expertise in AI with experience in drug discovery and development. His leadership has been instrumental in expanding the adoption of AI-powered biosimulation and virtual trials, helping clients achieve greater success in bringing new medicines to patients faster and with greater confidence.

Bouton mentioned, “Biosimulation combined with generative AI and machine learning is redefining how new medicines are discovered and developed, and is speeding timelines, reducing costs, and improving success rates. Leading Certara’s technology strategy to build the industry’s most advanced AI and model-informed drug development platform offers a unique opportunity to advance science and deliver better outcomes for patients worldwide.”

Earlier in his career, Dr. Bouton also founded Entagen, an enterprise analytics software firm that was later acquired by Thomson Reuters. He began his professional journey in the pharmaceutical industry as a computational biologist at Pfizer, where he developed an early foundation in drug development and data analysis. Certara’s upcoming MIDD platform will combine its scientific expertise, broad portfolio of software solutions, and advanced AI technologies. The platform is intended to support researchers and pharmaceutical developers in making faster, more informed decisions throughout the drug development process.