The author notes that the pharma industry
should prepare for the digital health era. Performing in silico clinical trials
is the future of medical innovations, and chances are real that small startup
companies will play a major role in this – if pharma lags behind regarding
digital healthcare.
The “medical futurist” points to 6 trends
shaping the future of pharma:
- Empowered patients –
Patients find their own solution if their high expectations are not met.
- Augmented and virtual
reality – Visual explanations how drugs work in 3D, improved lab monitoring and
intelligent devices are just a few examples.
- Truly personalized
medicine – Therapies (susceptibility for a certain medication, dosage, side
effects etc) that are customized to our own genetic and metabolic profile
instead of drugs for the ‘average’ patient.
- 3D-printed drugs –
Small companies can come up with innovative manufacturing solutions to reach
the market more easily.
- Body sensors –
Automated collection of patient data during clinical trials would improve
clinical trials substantially.
- Artificial
intelligence – Medical decisions made by cognitive computers based on analysis
of big data instead of tests on actual people.
More information can be found here.
