Abhrasnata Das | Thursday, 27 January 2022
The Indian pharmaceutical sector is the world's third-biggest by volume and makes a substantial contribution to global health. A recent report of Times Of India states, “The pharmaceutical sector demonstrated its devotion and power by distributing crucial medications to over 120 nations throughout the previous two years while the globe faced the COVID-19 epidemic.
The Indian pharmaceutical industry's products continue to enhance health outcomes for people throughout the world, with an export value of $24.44 billion (2020-21).” In the coming days, the advent of disruptive technologies will influence digital transformation—enabled by radically interoperable data, AI, and open, secure platforms to transform the overall concept and purpose of pharmacy from treatment to prevention.
“By 2040, health will almost certainly center upon avoiding certain diseases and healing others. Many fewer individuals would have long-term illnesses that necessitated the use of medicine to manage symptoms,” points a report titled “The future of biopharma”. In this article, let's explore the key driving factor that will transform the purpose of the pharma sector towards prevention than treatment. Genetic testing Whole-genome sequencing is a new and powerful technology. In fact, with a CAGR of 11.3 percent, the genetic testing industry is predicted to reach US$17.6 million by 2025. 4 Early diagnoses of a disease, or the capacity to recognize who is genetically prone to disease, might allow for the cure or prevention of an ailment in its early stages.
For example, A DNA test for diet and nutrition can reveal information on healthy foods and diets that are compatible with a person's genes.
These dietary guidelines were developed to reduce the danger of nutritional deficiency, improve body composition, and reduce the risk of food-related disorders. Genetic fitness studies can provide insight into the endurance of workout routines, and specialists may advocate high-intensity, longer-duration training sessions.
As the process of gene testing flourishes the procedure of data interpretation and gene editing will also evolve to more sophisticated; thereby leading to an increase in early detection and preventative or curative interventions.
Predictive Medicines and Early Detection
Predictive medicine assesses the likelihood and risk of a person contracting an illness in the future. Predictive medicine uses particular laboratory tests to analyze an individual's health and social data and compare it to studies and results in order to predict the likelihood of a disease occurring. For example, Biomarkers were first developed in the field of oncology to predict cancer recurrence.
Biomarkers may now be used in a similar way to predict more frequent clinical illnesses in everyday life. Blood cholesterol, for example, is a well-known biomarker of coronary heart disease risk, as is a Prostrate-specific antigen (PSA), which is linked to prostate cancer. With all of the data analysis that Predictive Medicine necessitates, the healthcare sector has a huge chance to enhance overall diagnosis accuracy, help in Preventative Medicine, and lower growing healthcare costs.
Microbiome
Everyone has a unique microbiome, researchers are only now beginning to understand the relationship between these tiny animals and how they affect mental and physical health. In 2018, the global human microbiome market was worth US$351.81 million7, and over 100 companies are investing in microbiome data analysis.
A better understanding of the microbiome might lead to more effective illness prevention. Microbes found in children's stomachs, for example, might be connected to diseases like Type 1 diabetes in youngsters. According to a recent study, a patient's microbiome can influence their susceptibility to certain types of cancer as well as how effectively they respond to immunotherapy.
Digital Therapeutics (DTx)
Digital therapeutics (DTx) is a high-quality software application that gives evidence-based interventions to prevent, manage, or treat medical conditions and diseases, whether as a standalone monotherapy or as an optimization to enhance current drugs and therapies. DTx, in conjunction with or without a combined molecular treatment, has been shown to enhance outcomes, customize care, and save costs.
Digital platforms have shown results that are comparable to or better than the existing standard of treatment. Propeller Health's asthma platform, for example, showed a 79 percent decrease in rescue inhaler use8 and a 57 percent decrease in asthma-related ER visits and hospitalizations9. Propeller Health's and several other DTx firms' successes explain why the industry is expected to reach US$9 billion by 2025.
Conclusion
The rising adoption of novel solutions by physicians and patients in acute and chronic care settings reflects a maturing and growing pharma industry. In the future, the next step of the pharmacy segment towards preventive care will help patients improve their results through behavioral and lifestyle changes, either alone or in conjunction with existing therapies. The next natural step in the future of digital health would be to use technology to assist population-level illness prevention as well as larger preventative health and lifestyle modification programs.
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