It is now becoming clear that artificial intelligence (AI) is inescapable: it is used everywhere, including as part of translation workflow automation. Many translation companies are concerned that they will be forced out of the market, while a lot of freelance translators and client-side translation departments are wondering what their futures might look like.
Selecting the right linguists to translate life science content is a critical process due to the specialized nature of the field and the fact that the market is highly regulated. Documents may comprise a mixture of complex scientific data, medical terminology, and technical language. Inaccurate translations in clinical trial documentation, patient information leaflets, or drug labels can jeopardize patient safety, leading to the improper use of medication or devices. It is vital to ensure accuracy, compliance, cultural sensitivity, and clear communication, all of which are essential for the safety, effectiveness, and success of life science products and services.
Pharmaceutical companies face numerous translation challenges, especially when it comes to translating medical and scientific documents. They must comply with the various regulatory requirements across different countries for clinical trials, marketing authorization applications, and product labeling.
The implementation of the new MDR has introduced several new changes and requirements regarding the labeling and usage instructions for medical devices. These modifications impact the content that requires translation. Specifically, the MDR underscores the importance of providing clear and understandable information to users, encompassing patients, healthcare professionals, and even software UI now recognized as part of product labeling. The classification of software has undergone drastic changes under the EU MDR and IVDR, resulting in virtually no medical device software falling under low-risk categories (unlike the situation under the MDD). The updated language requirements for software are expected to influence manufacturers’ software translation/localization policies, prompting a more rigorous examination of the translated UI.
There is undoubtedly a trend of life sciences companies venturing into digital technologies, which has been steadily gaining momentum. The life sciences industry has never been an early adopter of technical novelties. However, many companies in the industry have recognized the potential benefits of digital technologies across diverse fields, including research, drug discovery, clinical trials, patient engagement, and healthcare delivery.
Machine translation (MT) has without any doubt already demonstrated its potential to revolutionize the translation sector, making it possible to translate large volumes of text in a short amount of time. This is particularly useful for businesses that need to translate a lot of content quickly.
