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As we begin another year, the world remains under the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic with the emergence of another new variant. Covid-19 has impacted how we interact with people, how companies in general and pharmaceutical, in particular, are perceived, and how they function and innovate. Through collective efforts, the pharmaceutical industry is working to turn around the course of human diseases.
The foremost commitment for the pharmaceutical industry is to ramp up research in finding effective treatments for not just Covid-19 but also other diseases that continue to impact people’s lives. Companies will invest in short- and medium-term cell and gene therapy and biologics.
In the coming times, we will see the industry actively advocating multi-stakeholder collaboration to create a mindset for research, innovation, and skill augmentation; aligning academia with industry needs; ramping up research infrastructure; negotiating regulatory changes; and making research lucrative and rewarding.
Precision medicines
By far, medicine has primarily followed the ‘one-size-fits-all’ mechanism. The future will see an increased effort to bring in precision medicines through artificial intelligence and machine learning. For this, we need to improve procedures for genetic testing and integrate the study of genetic and metabolic makeup and function into the traditional healthcare processes.
We will see digital solutions paving way for this change. Digital solutions are being used for monitoring not just patients but also clinical trials and managing the supply chain for efficient delivery. We experienced a rise in the uptake of digital solutions last year, and this is only going to grow hereon.
Covid-19 has shown us the power of collective action on multiple levels: global, national, local, and individual. It has shown the disruptive power of a healthcare crisis that can bring down the most vibrant economy. This pandemic is transforming each of us, every company, every industry, and testing the capabilities of entire nations. Billions of people across the globe placed their trust in the pharmaceutical industry. Our priority must be to honour this trust, find the solutions, not give up and ensure we provide greater value to patients, people, and the community.
Simon Gallagher is General Manager (Interim) India, Takeda. Views are personal
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