Certara, Inc. (Nasdaq: CERT), a global leader in model-informed drug development, has appointed Christopher Bouton, Ph.D., as Chief Technology Officer to advance the company's artificial intelligence capabilities in drug discovery and development. The appointment, announced on July 31, 2025, positions Dr. Bouton to lead technology strategy and development of a next-generation integrated model-informed drug development (MIDD) platform enabled by generative AI and biosimulation technology advances.
Strategic Leadership Appointment
Dr. Bouton brings extensive experience in AI-powered life sciences solutions to his new role. He was the founder and CEO of Vyasa Analytics, which Certara acquired in 2022. Vyasa provided scalable deep-learning software that enables Certara's platforms to make new predictions and answer complex questions across structured and unstructured data sources.
"Chris is a visionary leader who combines expertise in AI with experience in drug discovery and development," said William F. Feehery, Chief Executive Officer. "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."
Technology Innovation Track Record
Under Dr. Bouton's leadership, Certara has developed several AI-based products, including CoAuthor™, a generative AI product for regulatory and medical writing. His entrepreneurial background includes founding Entagen, an enterprise analytics software provider that was acquired by Thomson Reuters, and beginning his career as a computational biologist at Pfizer.
The appointment represents a strategic reinforcement of Certara's commitment to AI-powered drug development solutions in the competitive biosimulation market. Dr. Bouton's track record demonstrates a pattern of building and scaling AI solutions specifically for life sciences applications.
Next-Generation Platform Development
Certara's next-generation modeling platform integrates the company's scientific expertise, broad portfolio of solutions, and AI approaches to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of discovering and developing novel therapeutics. The platform addresses critical industry challenges around time and cost inefficiency in traditional drug development processes.
"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," said Dr. Bouton. "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."
Market Position and Client Base
Certara serves more than 2,400 biopharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, and regulatory agencies across 70 countries through its biosimulation software, technology, and services. The company's focus on transforming traditional drug discovery and development through advanced modeling and simulation positions it at the forefront of pharmaceutical innovation.
The integration of advanced AI with Certara's existing biosimulation platform represents a calculated move to accelerate technological evolution and deliver enhanced value to clients in the life sciences sector. By consolidating scientific expertise with AI capabilities, the company aims to address critical pain points in drug development efficiency and success rates.
