9TECH OUTLOOKDecember 2016As more comprehensive use cases gain success, the changes to the existing model will be disruptedbeing published. Physicians can no longer rely on the training they had during med school and stay current by reading a few new journal articles per month. Estimates are that by 2020, physicians will face 200x the amount of medical data and facts related to patient care than a human could possibly process. 3. 3D printing could completely transform the manufacturing process in the pharmaceutical industry. It is not difficult to imagine how the advances in personalized medicine could result in the manufacturing of 3D printed medications that are determined to be most effective for each individual patient by leveraging customized dosages and drug combinations. The transformation may be from "one size fits all" medications that are relatively ineffective to individualized treatments that may include combination therapies specifically targeted for a patient's treatment. 4. Value based care is becoming a reality in healthcare. With pressures being felt by payors and healthcare providers, it is not difficult to take the leap to the expectation of payment for value extending to the pharmaceutical industry around drug effectiveness. 5. Disruption to the clinical trial process is necessary. With the average drug approval process taking 8-12 years, technology advances in the areas of computational computing and synthetic biology are enabling biotech garage innovators to achieve break-through in fractions of time and cost of traditional development methods. The use of these new technologies will enable the drug testing and trial period to advance significantly and reduce the risks associated with human experimentation. Patient empowerment is changing the historic relationship between patients and their physician. Patients are now empowered with access to information via the Internet that was not available a decade ago. Consumer behaviors and expectations are also transferring into healthcare in ways that did not traditionally exist. As patients become more educated, they are doing the research to understand treatment options and are making decisions based not only on the clinical condition but the overall option that is best for their personal situation and goals. 6. CRISPR Cas9 genome editing technology has the first human trial planned to start this year. This trial will focus on using CRISPR to edit the T Cells in cancer patients to activate the immune system to destroy malignant cells that are no longer responsive to current treatment therapies. 7. Virtual reality experiences with low cost delivery options such as Google Cardboard may provide empowered patients the ability to evaluate the pros and cons of pharmaceuticals in a new way. Patients can leverage this technology to understand the workings of a drug and could obtain a deeper understanding of the potential side effects through virtual simulations. 8. Direct to consumer testing services empower a patient to have a deeper understanding of their own body and make pro-active lifestyle adjustments to reduce risk of disease. This is enabled by services such as Veritas Genetics which offers genome sequencing for $999. As all of these technologies converge, collaboration is occurring between industries in a manner that I have not experienced in the last 20 years within healthcare. It is critical because many of these technologies are being developed in silos or with narrow use cases. As more comprehensive use cases gain success, the changes to the existing model of drug development, testing, regulatory approval and reimbursement will be disrupted. Pharma companies should take note of these trends because if they are not prepared, they may find themselves with a legacy business model that quickly becomes irrelevant. Kristin H. Darby
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