[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":342},["ShallowReactive",2],{"slug-the-present-and-future-of-digital-pills":3},{"post":4,"relatedPosts":197,"relatedBooks":341},{"id":5,"date":6,"date_gmt":7,"guid":8,"modified":10,"modified_gmt":11,"slug":12,"status":13,"type":14,"link":15,"title":16,"content":18,"excerpt":21,"author":23,"featured_media":24,"comment_status":25,"ping_status":25,"sticky":26,"template":27,"format":28,"meta":29,"categories":30,"tags":34,"project_category":45,"contact_email_category":51,"yst_prominent_words":52,"class_list":73,"better_featured_image":98,"acf":132,"yoast_meta":141,"_links":144},29051,"2020-07-21T10:00:00","2020-07-21T08:00:00",{"rendered":9},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=29051&_wpnonce=c1d8ff7a7a&status=auto-draft&type=post","2020-08-06T08:31:19","2020-08-06T06:31:19","the-present-and-future-of-digital-pills","publish","post","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-present-and-future-of-digital-pills",{"rendered":17},"The Present And Future Of Digital Pills",{"rendered":19,"protected":20},"\n\u003Cp>Flicking your wrist as your smartwatch nudges you, you find a notification alerting that it’s time to take your digital pills. You grab one from your smart medicine pack, alert your GP, and ingest it with a glass of water. Thereafter, the pill broadcasts a real-time video stream as it goes down your oesophagus and into your stomach. Your GP is simultaneously monitoring the visuals, assessing the progression of your ulcer. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Afterwards, you have a video call with your GP who reassures you of the ulcer’s healing. She also notes that the digital pill contains your personalised medicine 3D-printed onto it and it will slowly get activated with your stomach’s activity. Before leaving, she reminds you to stick to the prescribed treatment plan for the best outcome. It’s a nice reminder that she’ll be monitoring your adherence via the pill’s tracking sensor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F06\u002Fdigital-pill-768x512.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28951\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F06\u002Fdigital-pill-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F06\u002Fdigital-pill-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F06\u002Fdigital-pill.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>https:\u002F\u002Fwww.engadget.com\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Such a treatment procedure will soon be reality. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fcategory\u002F3d-printing\u002F\">3D-printing \u003C\u002Fa>of multiple medicines on a single pill, known as a polypill, is \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002F3dprint.com\u002F261126\u002Fresearchers-3d-print-six-different-drugs-multi-layered-polypill\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">already a possibility\u003C\u002Fa>. PillCam develops ingestible capsules \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.medtronic.com\u002Fcovidien\u002Fen-us\u002Fproducts\u002Fcapsule-endoscopy\u002Fpillcam-sb-3-system.html\" target=\"_blank\">equipped with camera systems\u003C\u002Fa> to visualise the digestive tract. As for a trackable digital pill, Proteus Digital Health pioneered these. While these are three separate examples, it’s not far-fetched to envision a company coming up with an amalgamation of these trio and offer a solution akin to the introductory story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>With the data collected, better insights can be obtained about patients’ conditions. This will enable manufacturers and doctors to streamline treatment plans for individual patients. However, such tracking and data collection will present an additional privacy nightmare that needs to be addressed in parallel to developing the technology. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>You might have heard the news of Proteus, one of the leaders championing digital pill technology, \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedcitynews.com\u002F2020\u002F06\u002Fproteus-files-for-bankruptcy-where-did-it-falter\u002F?rf=1\" target=\"_blank\">filing for bankruptcy\u003C\u002Fa>. Nevertheless, its failure does not mean the end of the depicted future or technology itself. It only signifies a steeper slope ahead of those working on bringing it to the market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Let’s see where the technology lies and what awaits it ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>What is a digital pill?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It might sound like the latest hype from Silicon Valley, especially with the “digital” prefix, but the technology behind digital pills isn’t totally new. These refer to ingestible medications with embedded electronic circuits rather than smartphone logging apps. The first instance of a swallowable medical electronic device \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.thelancet.com\u002Fjournals\u002Flancet\u002Farticle\u002FPIIS0140-6736(57)91792-0\u002Ffulltext\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dates back to 1957\u003C\u002Fa>. It \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FDigital_pill#Overview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">used radio frequency\u003C\u002Fa> to transmit temperature and pressure readings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The next milestone in the field happened in 2017 as technological progress caught up with the invention. That year marked \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedcitynews.com\u002F2017\u002F11\u002Fproteus-digital-health-ceo-on-fda-approval\u002F?rf=1\" target=\"_blank\">the FDA’s first-ever approval\u003C\u002Fa> of a digital pill, Abilify Mycite. PillCam’s aforementioned endoscopic capsule differs in that it is destined for imaging purposes, while the Abilify Mycite is a truly digital pill for treatment and monitoring purposes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Produced by Otsuka Pharmaceutical and Proteus Digital Health, Abilify Mycite contains aripiprazole, a drug used in treating psychiatric conditions, and an ingestible sensor. The latter activates with the stomach’s acid and emits signals to a patch worn on the rib cage. The patch further communicates with an app, allowing doctors to monitor the patient’s adherence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"721\" height=\"481\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F07\u002Fproteus-digital-pill.jpeg\" alt=\"digital pill\" class=\"wp-image-28987\"\u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fiercebiotech.com\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This is a game changer for patients with severe conditions like schizophrenia and severe depression, as missing a medication can have serious consequences. Moreover, only \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Fangelauyeung\u002F2019\u002F04\u002F01\u002Ftake-your-medicine-this-15-billion-health-startups-smart-pills-keep-patients-from-forgetting\u002F#12229f034d74\" target=\"_blank\">about 25-50% of patients\u003C\u002Fa> correctly take their medications worldwide. Poor treatment compliance \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpmc\u002Farticles\u002FPMC3934668\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">leads to $100 billion to $300 billion\u003C\u002Fa> in healthcare costs and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpmc\u002Farticles\u002FPMC6049050\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">leads to some 125,000 annual deaths\u003C\u002Fa> in the U.S.; all of these preventable. Investors jumped at the prospect of Proteus’ technology to curb those figures. The startup thus \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnbc.com\u002F2020\u002F06\u002F15\u002Fproteus-digital-health-once-worth-1point5-billion-files-for-chapter-11.html\" target=\"_blank\">raised over $500 million\u003C\u002Fa> in venture capital and was \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Fangelauyeung\u002F2019\u002F04\u002F01\u002Ftake-your-medicine-this-15-billion-health-startups-smart-pills-keep-patients-from-forgetting\u002F#7d981d954d74\" target=\"_blank\">valued at $1.5 billion\u003C\u002Fa> in 2019.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, under pressure to hit milestones quickly following such investments and an \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.statnews.com\u002F2020\u002F01\u002F14\u002Fproteus-otsuka-key-pharma-partnership-unravels\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">abrupt termination\u003C\u002Fa> of its partnership with Otsuka, Proteus struggled to raise more capital. Eventually, the company \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fiercebiotech.com\u002Fmedtech\u002Fdigital-pill-developer-proteus-files-for-bankruptcy\" target=\"_blank\">filed for bankruptcy\u003C\u002Fa> in June 2020; leaving a bitter taste in investors’ mouth when it comes to digital pills; and putting a halt in realising the future treatment envisioned in the introduction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>A failed company, not a failed tech\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Proteus may have picked [a] therapeutic area with a degree of difficulty that’s an eight or nine out of 10, right?” \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mobihealthnews.com\u002Fnews\u002Fdigital-pill-maker-proteus-digital-health-files-bankruptcy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said Bill Evans\u003C\u002Fa>, managing director of digital health venture fund and research group Rock Health, when Proteus’ troubles emerged. “They may be paying the price for that tactical choice, because it’s such a challenging therapeutic modality for their particular intervention to take hold.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Indeed, Proteus’ failure reflects a failure from the part of the company and its management, not from the technology itself. In fact, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.iproc.org\u002F2019\u002F1\u002Fe15273\u002F?utm_source=TrendMD&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Iproceedings_TrendMD_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">studies showed\u003C\u002Fa> that digital pills for adherence measurement indeed help in improving adherence among populations with adherence issues. An \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mobihealthnews.com\u002Fnews\u002Fnorth-america\u002Fstudy-proteus-digital-pill-system-accurate-improved-adherence-among-california-tb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">independent study\u003C\u002Fa> put Proteus’ own technology to the test. It analysed patients with tuberculosis who use oral pills equipped with Proteus’ system. These patients showed improved adherence to their treatment, comparable to in-person medication adherence programs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The technology is still helpful for such specific patient population and that’s why interest still exists in this field. “I think someone will try to push this forward,” \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedcitynews.com\u002F2020\u002F06\u002Fproteus-files-for-bankruptcy-where-did-it-falter\u002F?rf=1\" target=\"_blank\">said Michael Greeley\u003C\u002Fa>, co-founder of Flare Capital Partners, regarding Proteus’ fall. “They will likely face many bidders over a long bankruptcy process,” he added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F08\u002F100_why-dont-digital-health-investors-finance-hard-topics-768x432.png\" alt=\"digital health investors\" class=\"wp-image-24505\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F08\u002F100_why-dont-digital-health-investors-finance-hard-topics-768x432.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F08\u002F100_why-dont-digital-health-investors-finance-hard-topics-370x208.png 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F08\u002F100_why-dont-digital-health-investors-finance-hard-topics-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F08\u002F100_why-dont-digital-health-investors-finance-hard-topics-2048x1152.png 2048w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F08\u002F100_why-dont-digital-health-investors-finance-hard-topics.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Indeed, Otsuka and others \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedcitynews.com\u002F2020\u002F06\u002Fproteus-files-for-bankruptcy-where-did-it-falter\u002F?rf=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">are already eyeing the acquisition\u003C\u002Fa> of Proteus’ technology. Another company, etectRx, had its digital pill that uses a removable lanyard rather than a patch \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedcitynews.com\u002F2019\u002F12\u002Fnew-smart-pill-maker-gains-fda-approval\u002F?rf=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">approved by the FDA\u003C\u002Fa> in late 2019. Spain-based Infármate \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcordis.europa.eu\u002Farticle\u002Fid\u002F418365-pill-tracking-device-promises-targeted-personalised-care\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">is developing a similar solution\u003C\u002Fa>, named SIGUEMED, to help the elderly with chronic illnesses properly take their medicine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, the challenge that lies ahead of those companies treading the same path as Proteus did is to attract investors who will instinctively be wary of following Proteus’ ill-fated tale. But the issues around the future of digital pills lie beyond financial woes alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Digitised but not minimised concerns\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Having a 24\u002F7 sensor that tracks when and if you take a pill feels intrusive, eerily stepping into the realm of surveillance. Now consider prescribing such a treatment to schizophrenic patients who have the tendency to think that they are constantly tracked or monitored; probably not the most ideal way to get them to stick to their meds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“As a psychiatrist, I would still feel uneasy about prescribing an antipsychotic drug with that feature,” \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedcitynews.com\u002F2020\u002F06\u002Fproteus-files-for-bankruptcy-where-did-it-falter\u002F?rf=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said Dr. James Levenson\u003C\u002Fa>, a psychiatry professor for Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Abilify MyCite is reportedly \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Fjohnlamattina\u002F2019\u002F07\u002F22\u002Fsmart-pill-schizophrenia-drug-unlikely-to-move-payers\u002F?utm_source=Triggermail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Post%20Blast%20%28bii-digital-health%29:%20Smart%20pills%20don%27t%20live%20up%20to%20the%20hype%2C%20yet%20%7C%20Google%20unveils%20novel%20diagnostic%20AI%20%7C%20Anthem%20narrows%20in%20on%20young%20consumers%20with%20new%20tool&utm_term=BII%20List%20Digital%20Health%20ALL#7ea90a5b65d0\" target=\"_blank\">priced at $1,650\u003C\u002Fa> per month, or double that of the brand name drug, while the generic aripiprazole drug \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Facademic.oup.com\u002Fehjcvp\u002Farticle-abstract\u002F6\u002F2\u002F72\u002F5588932\" target=\"_blank\">costs less than $20\u003C\u002Fa> per month. Not the best incentive for individuals or insurance companies to look into this option. More so given that \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Febm.bmj.com\u002Fcontent\u002F24\u002F6\u002F231.abstract\" target=\"_blank\">a British Medical Journal paper\u003C\u002Fa> published in 2019 concluded that there was “no evidence of better adherence with the digital version of aripiprazole compared with the non-digital version”.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F07\u002Fdecision-768x432.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-29053\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F07\u002Fdecision-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F07\u002Fdecision-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F07\u002Fdecision-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F07\u002Fdecision.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: https:\u002F\u002Fwww.lynda.com\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This is in contrast to the positive findings of the results of the later \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mobihealthnews.com\u002Fnews\u002Fnorth-america\u002Fstudy-proteus-digital-pill-system-accurate-improved-adherence-among-california-tb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">independent study\u003C\u002Fa> mentioned before. These conflicting conclusions attest to the novelty of the digital pill solution, hence the need to further understand the best targets to benefit from it. Meanwhile, payers and providers don’t have the right justification to cover it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Of course, given the use of technology in digital pills, privacy concerns jump in the picture. The tracking nature of these pills raise further questions about who else will benefit from the data collected. What about patient autonomy in all that? Should we subjugate ourselves to a tracking device disguised in a timer? \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Some raised such issues \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnews.mayocliniclabs.com\u002Fn1\u002F96e99366cea7b0de\u002Fuploads\u002F2017\u002F11\u002FAttachment-2_NYT_First-Digital-Pill-Approved-to-Worries-About-Biomedical-%E2%80%98Big-Brother%E2%80%99.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">as soon as the FDA gave its approval\u003C\u002Fa> for Abilify MyCite in 2017, but authorities have not invested much into reassuring end-users regarding these issues since then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Solutions to make digital pills less hard to swallow\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Combined, the issues of privacy protection, affordability, management and doubt over effectiveness gave Proteus a hard pill to swallow.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Nevertheless, we believe their technology holds potential. It could lead to a seamless, remote treatment experience as pictured in the introduction. However, much work remains to be done in the field. Thankfully, others are working on improving where Proteus failed. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Infármate plans a cost-effective solution with SIGUEMED. Its solution comes with a trackable blister pack, alerting caregivers when patients take a pill. A companion app informs of the right time to take the pill and alerts contact persons if a mistake has been made. “Printing with electronic ink enabled us to lower the cost to that of a classic blister pack, but with a remarkable increase in added value,” \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcordis.europa.eu\u002Farticle\u002Fid\u002F418365-pill-tracking-device-promises-targeted-personalised-care\">sai\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcordis.europa.eu\u002Farticle\u002Fid\u002F418365-pill-tracking-device-promises-targeted-personalised-care\" target=\"_blank\">d\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcordis.europa.eu\u002Farticle\u002Fid\u002F418365-pill-tracking-device-promises-targeted-personalised-care\"> Antonio Rey\u003C\u002Fa>, the company’s CEO.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"433\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Faround-the-pill-strategy-768x433.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26335\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Faround-the-pill-strategy-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Faround-the-pill-strategy-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Faround-the-pill-strategy-512x289.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Faround-the-pill-strategy.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The recently FDA-approved etectRx gives patients more control over when monitoring starts. Their solution \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedcitynews.com\u002F2019\u002F12\u002Fnew-smart-pill-maker-gains-fda-approval\u002F?rf=1\" target=\"_blank\">involves a removable lanyard\u003C\u002Fa> rather than a patch, which patients can remove after taking their medicine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Such an opt-in approach could be more acceptable by patients and help build trust over time. But to further build on this trust, digital pills must comply with HIPAA or other patient privacy laws. This will help such compliance technology work for the patient rather than against the patient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",false,{"rendered":22,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>Digital pills, medications with embedded electronic circuits can be good solution for specific patients with specific conditions. But there are also privacy issues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",16,29169,"closed",true,"","standard",{"_acf_changed":20,"footnotes":27},[31,32,33],498,496,489,[35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44],5125,5043,5127,5129,4979,1374,130,5119,5121,5123,[46,47,48,49,50],947,950,951,952,953,[],[53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72],1841,3057,5087,4967,5089,4971,5097,4973,5099,5103,4985,5105,1617,4989,1631,4993,1681,5007,1719,5009,[74,14,75,76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89,90,91,92,93,94,95,96,97],"post-29051","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-3d-printing","category-health-sensors-trackers","category-personalized-medicine","tag-etectrx","tag-otsuka","tag-infarmate","tag-hipaa","tag-digital-pill","tag-schizophrenia","tag-3d-printing-2","tag-abilify","tag-pillcam","tag-patch","project_category-company","project_category-medical-professionals","project_category-patients","project_category-policy-makers","project_category-researchers",{"id":24,"alt_text":99,"caption":100,"description":101,"media_type":102,"media_details":103,"post":5,"source_url":131},"smart pill","The present and the possible future of digital pills","Digital pills, medications with embedded electronic circuits, can be helpful for specific patients in specific conditions.","image",{"width":104,"height":105,"file":106,"sizes":107,"image_meta":129},1920,1080,"2020\u002F07\u002F185_tmf-01.png",{"medium":108,"large":114,"thumbnail":119,"medium_large":123,"1536x1536":124},{"file":109,"width":110,"height":111,"mime-type":112,"source_url":113},"185_tmf-01-370x208.png","370","208","image\u002Fpng","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F07\u002F185_tmf-01-370x208.png",{"file":115,"width":116,"height":117,"mime-type":112,"source_url":118},"185_tmf-01-768x432.png","768","432","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F07\u002F185_tmf-01-768x432.png",{"file":120,"width":121,"height":121,"mime-type":112,"source_url":122},"185_tmf-01-150x150.png","150","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F07\u002F185_tmf-01-150x150.png",{"file":115,"width":116,"height":117,"mime-type":112,"source_url":118},{"file":125,"width":126,"height":127,"mime-type":112,"source_url":128},"185_tmf-01-1536x864.png","1536","864","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F07\u002F185_tmf-01-1536x864.png",{"aperture":130,"credit":27,"camera":27,"caption":27,"created_timestamp":130,"copyright":27,"focal_length":130,"iso":130,"shutter_speed":130,"title":27,"orientation":130},"0","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F07\u002F185_tmf-01.png",{"cta_type":133,"cta_color":27,"subtitle":27,"related_books":134,"related_posts_footer":137,"related_posts":20},"subscribe",[135,136],24759,25985,[138,139,140],11882,25833,26327,{"yoast_wpseo_title":142,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":143,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":15},"Digital Pills: The Present and Future - The Medical Futurist","Digital pills can be a good solution for patients with specific conditions. But there are privacy issues that raise questions around digital pills",{"self":145,"collection":151,"about":154,"author":157,"replies":160,"version-history":163,"predecessor-version":167,"wp:featuredmedia":171,"wp:attachment":174,"wp:term":177,"curies":193},[146],{"href":147,"targetHints":148},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F29051",{"allow":149},[150],"GET",[152],{"href":153},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts",[155],{"href":156},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftypes\u002Fpost",[158],{"embeddable":26,"href":159},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fusers\u002F16",[161],{"embeddable":26,"href":162},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=29051",[164],{"count":165,"href":166},9,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F29051\u002Frevisions",[168],{"id":169,"href":170},29461,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F29051\u002Frevisions\u002F29461",[172],{"embeddable":26,"href":173},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F29169",[175],{"href":176},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=29051",[178,181,184,187,190],{"taxonomy":179,"embeddable":26,"href":180},"category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=29051",{"taxonomy":182,"embeddable":26,"href":183},"post_tag","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=29051",{"taxonomy":185,"embeddable":26,"href":186},"project_category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=29051",{"taxonomy":188,"embeddable":26,"href":189},"contact_email_category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=29051",{"taxonomy":191,"embeddable":26,"href":192},"yst_prominent_words","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=29051",[194],{"name":195,"href":196,"templated":26},"wp","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.w.org\u002F{rel}",[198],{"id":140,"date":199,"date_gmt":200,"guid":201,"modified":203,"modified_gmt":204,"slug":205,"status":13,"type":14,"link":206,"title":207,"content":209,"excerpt":211,"author":23,"featured_media":213,"comment_status":25,"ping_status":25,"sticky":26,"template":27,"format":28,"meta":214,"categories":215,"tags":217,"project_category":223,"contact_email_category":224,"yst_prominent_words":225,"class_list":244,"better_featured_image":252,"acf":289,"yoast_meta":296,"_links":299},"2020-02-25T10:00:00","2020-02-25T08:00:00",{"rendered":202},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?post_id=26327&_wpnonce=4be7c73b74&status=auto-draft&type=post","2020-04-03T10:44:04","2020-04-03T08:44:04","5-things-that-will-dominate-the-2020s-for-pharma-companies","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F5-things-that-will-dominate-the-2020s-for-pharma-companies",{"rendered":208},"5 Things That Will Dominate The 2020s For Pharma Companies",{"rendered":210,"protected":20},"\n\u003Cp>What’s worth some 1,204.8 billion USD? Well, it’s the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.statista.com\u002Ftopics\u002F1764\u002Fglobal-pharmaceutical-industry\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">worldwide pharmaceutical market\u003C\u002Fa>, of course! With such a capital at stake and with the pace of technological disruption, the pharma industry is quick to adapt to the changing times. In fact, leading drug companies are \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.hardmanandco.com\u002Fresearch\u002Fcorporate-research\u002Fglobal-pharmaceuticals-2018-industry-statistics\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">re-investing as much as 20.8%\u003C\u002Fa> of drug sales into new drug development. We’ve analyzed the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Ftop-10-trends-shaping-future-pharma\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">trends shaping the future of pharma\u003C\u002Fa> before, but how can we expect to see the landscape evolve in this new decade? With leaps in A.I., patient empowerment and 3D printed drugs, here are the 5 pharma trends that will be the focus of pharmaceutical companies in the coming years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Top Technologies Shaping The Future Of Pharma - The Medical Futurist\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FEoYvUx1v8vY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Pharma Trend #1 – Faster and cheaper: A.I. for drug R&D\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.prnewswire.com\u002Fnews-releases\u002Fai-in-healthcare-market-worth-31-3-billion-by-2025-grand-view-research-inc-300975059.html\" target=\"_blank\">recent report\u003C\u002Fa> forecasts the global artificial intelligence in healthcare market size to reach the USD 31.3 billion bar by 2025, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 41.5% over a forecast period. Pharma companies’ contribution to this growth isn’t negligible, as \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblog.benchsci.com\u002Fstartups-using-artificial-intelligence-in-drug-discovery\" target=\"_blank\">the sheer amount\u003C\u002Fa> of A.I. companies in drug development reflects. It’s all about the speed and savings that A.I. ‘s myriad of applications can bring in this sector.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"512\" height=\"288\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002FAI-Pharma-pill-512x288.jpg\" alt=\"Pharma trend: A.I.\" class=\"wp-image-26329\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002FAI-Pharma-pill-512x288.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002FAI-Pharma-pill-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002FAI-Pharma-pill.jpg 740w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: https:\u002F\u002Fmedsocial.ai\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Companies like \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.atomwise.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Atomwise\u003C\u002Fa>, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fturbine.ai\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Turbine\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.deepgenomics.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Deep Genomics\u003C\u002Fa> use artificial intelligence to identify the most suitable drugs for certain conditions, doing so in record time all while cutting down on the costs. A prime example is that of Atomwise providing its algorithm to perform the drug research in developing a treatment for Ebola virus infections while partnering with the University of Toronto and IBM. The algorithm \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.atomwise.com\u002F2015\u002F03\u002F24\u002Fnew-ebola-treatment-using-artificial-intelligence\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">predicted two drugs\u003C\u002Fa> which could significantly reduce Ebola infectivity. This analysis, which typically would have taken months or even years, was completed in less than one day!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>With the potential that lies in A.I-aided drug design, we even expect to see an A.I. startup using A.I. for drug design becoming a pharma company itself and run trials, as predicted in our \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F2020s-digital-health-trends-to-look-out-for\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Digital Health Trends for 2020\u003C\u002Fa>. This will allow such a company to have more input in a drug’s fate and see it through from conception to fruition, rather than just lending its algorithm and having big pharma take over the rest of the process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Pharma Trend #2 – Patient involvement in advisory boards and drug design\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>If drug companies want to stay ahead of the curve, they will undeniably have to involve patients in their decision-making processes. In our always-connected world aided with health trackers and online communities, patients are more empowered than ever to make their demands heard, and all for the better! \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube aligncenter wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Why is Patient Design Essential in Healthcare? \u002F Episode 6 - The Medical Futurist\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FhjPcpVaJ9xU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>An instance of patients barging through an impenetrable ivory tower tightly controlled by big corporations is that of diabetes. Diabetics created the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.healthline.com\u002Fhealth\u002Fdiabetesmine\u002Finnovation\u002Fwe-are-not-waiting#1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">“#wearenotwaiting” movement\u003C\u002Fa> following undelivered promises of medtech companies and regulatory bodies to provide innovative products to better attend to their needs. The community decided to not wait anymore and took matters in its own hands. This movement led to initiatives like \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fopenaps.org\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">open-sourced DIY artificial pancreas\u003C\u002Fa>, discussion platforms like \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.healthline.com\u002Fdiabetesmine\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">DiabetesMine\u003C\u002Fa> and cloud-based solutions like \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tidepool.org\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Tidepool\u003C\u002Fa>, which makes diabetes data more accessible and actionable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Heeding to the patient’s demands, the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002F2016-09-28\u002Fartificial-pancreas-approved-by-fda-is-first-such-device-in-u-s\" target=\"_blank\">FDA approved\u003C\u002Fa> of the first artificial pancreas two years after the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fliving-with-an-artificial-pancreas\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">open source DIY artificial pancreas\u003C\u002Fa> was made publicly available. By further embracing patients’ input, the FDA created its own \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fda.gov\u002Fadvisory-committees\u002Fcommittees-and-meeting-materials\u002Fpatient-engagement-advisory-committee\" target=\"_blank\">patient engagement advisory board\u003C\u002Fa>. This set diabetes as the reference when it comes to patients penetrating ivory towers by means of digital health, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fdiabetes-as-the-trojan-horse-of-digital-health\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"akin to a Trojan horse (opens in a new tab)\">akin to a Trojan horse\u003C\u002Fa>, and the pharma industry might soon follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"350\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F12\u002Ftrojan-horse-pills.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25549\"\u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: https:\u002F\u002Fmed.news.am\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As such, pharma companies might want to hear out patients and include them in their decision making. The rise of \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.digitaltrends.com\u002Fcool-tech\u002Fdiy-medicine-expert-interview\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">DIY medicine movements\u003C\u002Fa> shows that more people want their voice heard when it comes to making medicine more available and affordable, from the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.scientificamerican.com\u002Farticle\u002Fan-anarchist-is-teaching-patients-to-make-their-own-medications\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">$35 DIY alternative\u003C\u002Fa> to the costly EpiPen shows. Another example is to create online platforms like \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.antidote.me\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Antidote\u003C\u002Fa>, which seeks out participants and matches them with the appropriate clinical trials, thereby cutting costs incurred due to delays in finding participants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Drug companies must involve patients in drug designs, trials and even decision-making to better attend to their needs. After all, their drugs are destined to the end consumer and it will benefit both parties to have drugs better designed for patients’ maximum convenience in a more regulated way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Pharma Trend #3 – No animals and humans will be harmed: \u003Cem>in silico\u003C\u002Fem> trials \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>You’ve heard of \u003Cem>in vivo \u003C\u002Fem>and \u003Cem>in vitro \u003C\u002Fem>experiments before, now you’ll have to get used to \u003Cem>in silico \u003C\u002Fem>ones which are experiments conducted by means of a computer simulation. By running drug trials on computer simulations of organs, this technology can completely bypass \u003Cem>in vivo\u003C\u002Fem> clinical testing. Besides the obvious time and cost effectiveness, \u003Cem>in silico \u003C\u002Fem>trials completely circumvent animal testing and side effects on human and animal participants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As it stands today, the technology and biological understanding are just not there yet to simulate clinical trials at 100%. There is significant progress in the field in the form of organs-on-a-chip like the ones researchers of the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwyss.harvard.edu\u002Ftechnology\u002Fhuman-organs-on-chips\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Wyss Institute\u003C\u002Fa> have been working on for years and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fhummod.org\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">HumMod\u003C\u002Fa>, the “most complete, mathematical model of human physiology ever created”, which has already been employed in \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fhummod.org\u002Fprojects\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">several research projects\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F08\u002F103_In-silico-clinical-trials-512x288.png\" alt=\"Pharma trend: in silico trials\" class=\"wp-image-24545\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The  Virtual Physiological Human (VPH) Institute has also created digital models that are already in use to study \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.cardioproof.eu\u002Fabout\u002Foverview-on-the-project\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">heart diseases\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fsimtk.org\u002Fprojects\u002Fvphop\" target=\"_blank\">osteoporosis\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theatlantic.com\u002Fsponsored\u002Fvmware-2017\u002Fvirtual-body\u002F1625\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">According to Liesbet Geris\u003C\u002Fa>, executive director of the VPH Institute, the FDA is already preparing for a future where over 50% of all clinical trial data are generated from computer simulations. We might be far from a so-called “human-on-a-chip”, but with big players like the FDA betting heavily on \u003Cem>in silico\u003C\u002Fem> trials, key players are envisioning a future where one exists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Pharma Trend #4 – High tech distribution: new technologies in the supply chain\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Technological innovation not only impacts drug development but also the drug supply chain in aspects ranging from time to safety to manpower. As we’ve noted in point #1, A.I. can slash drug designing time from years to days, saving cost and time while shortening the drug production cycle so they reach patients faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Further shortening the cycle is the integration of robotics. Companies like \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.densorobotics.com\u002Fproducts\u002Fmedical-pharmaceutical\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Denso Robotics\u003C\u002Fa> offer robots to automate tasks in the manufacturing processes. Robotics, in the form of \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fexoskeleton-technology\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">exoskeletons\u003C\u002Fa>, can further augment manual labour by assisting them with heavy loads and supporting them in enduring long hours of standing or other uncomfortable positions. Robots are already in use in pharmacies as dispenser aides like the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Finnovat.com\u002Fpharmassist-robotx\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">PharmASSIST ROBOTx\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"512\" height=\"342\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F10\u002FRussian-doctor-in-exoskeleton-512x342.jpg\" alt=\"Pharma trend: exoskeleton technology\" class=\"wp-image-25225\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F10\u002FRussian-doctor-in-exoskeleton-512x342.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F10\u002FRussian-doctor-in-exoskeleton-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F10\u002FRussian-doctor-in-exoskeleton.jpg 1360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: www.themoscowtimes.com\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Security along the supply chain can also benefit from a boost with a technology originating from the financial system: blockchain. Counterfeit drugs might offer a cheaper alternative but are the cause of tens of thousands of deaths worldwide, while the fake drug trade continues to be a profitable \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reuters.com\u002Farticle\u002Fus-pharmaceuticals-fakes\u002Ftens-of-thousands-dying-from-30-billion-fake-drugs-trade-who-says-idUSKBN1DS1XJ\">multi-billion dollar business\u003C\u002Fa>. In Asia, Africa and South America, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pharmaceutical-technology.com\u002Ffeatures\u002Fblockchain-pharma-opportunities-supply-chain\u002F\">such drugs make up\u003C\u002Fa> around 10-30% of the total medicines on sale. Blockchain could bring a radical security measure to the drug distribution chain via a barcode record system that can be tracked from the manufacturer to the end user. This way, medicines can be tracked in real-time by authorized parties and patients, making it much more difficult for criminal networks to operate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What The Hell Is Blockchain And What Does It Mean For Healthcare And Pharma? - The Medical Futurist\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FE1wcvcta6zw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In addition to a secure distribution chain, blockchain can also allow the sharing of confidential data pertaining to drug development and clinical trials. By being a simple yet secure measure, we will see pharma companies investing more and more into blockchain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Pharma Trend #5 – It’s all about the pills: new drug strategies\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Rather than focusing on traditional drug manufacturing and marketing, pharma companies will focus on newer approaches relying on technology to appeal more to providers and payers. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The “around the pill” strategy is one such approach. It refers to going beyond just producing and selling drugs as they are but rather developing a drug and attaching a digital health technology to it instead. An example of this strategy is the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mobihealthnews.com\u002Fcontent\u002Fdepth-pharma%E2%80%99s-digital-health-initiatives-move-commercialization\" target=\"_blank\">partnership between Partners Healthcare Center and Japanese drug maker Daichii-Sankyo\u003C\u002Fa> for a “mobile wrap-around” anticoagulate drug prescribed for atrial fibrillation. It involves a wearable monitoring device and an app for feedback from doctors and automated ones from the app itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"512\" height=\"289\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Faround-the-pill-strategy-512x289.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26335\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Faround-the-pill-strategy-512x289.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Faround-the-pill-strategy-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Faround-the-pill-strategy-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Faround-the-pill-strategy.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002F\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Pharma giant Roche also saw potential in such a technology-centric approach. In an attempt to boost its struggling diabetes unit, the company ingeniously paired the mySugr app \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.roche.com\u002Fmedia\u002Freleases\u002Fmed-cor-2017-06-30.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">it acquired in 2017\u003C\u002Fa> with Roche’s Accu-Chek Guide glucose meter, thereby allowing diabetics to have a different, gamified experience to managing their condition. By logging in their blood glucose levels, completing tasks and challenges, users can “tame their diabetes monster”. It’s a totally different approach which \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businesstimes.com.sg\u002Fconsumer\u002Froches-sinking-diabetes-unit-looks-towards-a-monster-for-a-boost\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Marcel Gmuender\u003C\u002Fa>, Roche’s head of diabetes-care unit, forecasts that “the way forward will mean selling a total experience, not just a product.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>More than offering a glimpse into the future of a world where you can print your medications from home, 3D-printed pills have far more practical applications to managing treatments. Since the \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Frobertszczerba\u002F2015\u002F08\u002F04\u002Ffda-approves-first-3-d-printed-drug\u002F#21226e315675\" target=\"_blank\">FDA approved Spritam\u003C\u002Fa>, the first 3D-printed prescription drug to treat symptoms of epilepsy, in 2015, the technology has been improving. Researchers are now investigating the manufacture of \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002F3dprint.com\u002F261126\u002Fresearchers-3d-print-six-different-drugs-multi-layered-polypill\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">multi-layered “polypills”\u003C\u002Fa> via 3D-printing. These are made to contain several drugs with the aim to help patients adhere to their regimen and better manage their medications. Drug companies will need to invest in developing this technology further to better help patient treatments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Ca class=\"img\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\u002Fposts\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"311\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002FScreenshot-2020-04-02-at-13.35.51-768x311.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-27373\"\u002F\u003C\u002Fa srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002FScreenshot-2020-04-02-at-13.35.51-768x311.png 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F04\u002FScreenshot-2020-04-02-at-13.35.51.png 1518w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Which of these 5 points are you most excited to see developments in throughout 2020s? Are there  any other aspects that you think will be the focus of the pharmaceutical industry? \u003Ca rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002Fmedicalfuturist\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">Share your thoughts\u003C\u002Fa> with us, we’d love to hear from you!\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":212,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>We’ve analyzed the trends shaping the future of pharma before, but how can we expect to see the landscape evolve in this new decade? With leaps in A.I., patient empowerment and 3D printed drugs, here are the 5 aspects that will be the focus of pharmaceutical companies in the coming years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",26469,{"_acf_changed":20,"footnotes":27},[216],490,[218,219,220,221,222],819,1083,207,247,356,[],[],[226,227,228,229,65,230,231,232,233,234,235,236,237,238,239,240,241,67,242,243],1613,1635,1615,1637,1619,1599,1621,1601,1623,1603,1625,1605,1627,1607,1629,1609,1611,1633,[245,14,75,76,77,78,79,246,247,248,249,250,251],"post-26327","category-future-of-pharma","tag-pharmaceutics","tag-digital-health-companies","tag-digital-health","tag-future-of-medicine","tag-pharma-2",{"id":213,"alt_text":253,"caption":27,"description":27,"media_type":102,"media_details":254,"post":140,"source_url":288},"future of pharma",{"width":104,"height":105,"file":255,"sizes":256,"image_meta":286},"2020\u002F02\u002Fpharma-future-small.png",{"medium":257,"large":262,"thumbnail":267,"medium_large":271,"1536x1536":272,"medium_old_370x208":277,"large_old_512x288":278,"thumbnail_old_150x150":283,"medium_large_old_768x432":284,"1536x1536_old_1536x864":285},{"file":258,"width":259,"height":260,"mime-type":112,"source_url":261},"pharma-future-small-370x208.png",370,208,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Fpharma-future-small-370x208.png",{"file":263,"width":264,"height":265,"mime-type":112,"source_url":266},"pharma-future-small-768x432.png",768,432,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Fpharma-future-small-768x432.png",{"file":268,"width":269,"height":269,"mime-type":112,"source_url":270},"pharma-future-small-150x150.png",150,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Fpharma-future-small-150x150.png",{"file":263,"width":264,"height":265,"mime-type":112,"source_url":266},{"file":273,"width":274,"height":275,"mime-type":112,"source_url":276},"pharma-future-small-1536x864.png",1536,864,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Fpharma-future-small-1536x864.png",{"file":258,"width":110,"height":111,"mime-type":112,"source_url":261},{"file":279,"width":280,"height":281,"mime-type":112,"source_url":282},"pharma-future-small-512x288.png","512","288","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Fpharma-future-small-512x288.png",{"file":268,"width":121,"height":121,"mime-type":112,"source_url":270},{"file":263,"width":116,"height":117,"mime-type":112,"source_url":266},{"file":273,"width":126,"height":127,"mime-type":112,"source_url":276},{"aperture":130,"credit":27,"camera":27,"caption":27,"created_timestamp":130,"copyright":27,"focal_length":130,"iso":130,"shutter_speed":130,"title":27,"orientation":130,"keywords":287},[],"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F02\u002Fpharma-future-small.png",{"cta_type":133,"cta_color":290,"subtitle":27,"related_books":291,"related_posts_footer":293,"related_posts":20},"red",[292],24764,[294,295],13095,13748,{"yoast_wpseo_title":297,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":298,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":206},"Top 5 Pharma Trends That Dominate The Pharma Industry in 2020","Pharma Trends 2020: What Will Shape the 2020s For Pharma Companies? Pharma Trend #1: AI Trend #2: High tech Trend #3: In silico trials",{"self":300,"collection":305,"about":307,"author":309,"replies":311,"version-history":314,"predecessor-version":318,"wp:featuredmedia":322,"wp:attachment":325,"wp:term":328,"curies":339},[301],{"href":302,"targetHints":303},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F26327",{"allow":304},[150],[306],{"href":153},[308],{"href":156},[310],{"embeddable":26,"href":159},[312],{"embeddable":26,"href":313},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=26327",[315],{"count":316,"href":317},12,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F26327\u002Frevisions",[319],{"id":320,"href":321},27395,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F26327\u002Frevisions\u002F27395",[323],{"embeddable":26,"href":324},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F26469",[326],{"href":327},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=26327",[329,331,333,335,337],{"taxonomy":179,"embeddable":26,"href":330},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=26327",{"taxonomy":182,"embeddable":26,"href":332},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=26327",{"taxonomy":185,"embeddable":26,"href":334},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=26327",{"taxonomy":188,"embeddable":26,"href":336},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=26327",{"taxonomy":191,"embeddable":26,"href":338},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=26327",[340],{"name":195,"href":196,"templated":26},[],1790079835074]