Imaging technologies are increasingly valued in drug development because they provide non-invasive, quantitative, longitudinal data on drug distribution and efficacy—helping to accelerate, de-risk, and optimize the pipeline from discovery through clinical development.

At the drug discovery stage, a range of imaging approaches can assess tumor burden, blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability, receptor occupancy, soft tissue changes, and biodistribution. In Phase I–II studies, imaging offers powerful early biomarkers to evaluate drug activity, optimize dosing strategies, and assess safety across multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology and neuroscience. Modalities such as PET, CT, MRI, and emerging hybrid and molecular imaging techniques continue to expand the precision and utility of imaging throughout the development lifecycle.