The future of healthcare

Imagine being diagnosed by an AI doctor, having your organs 3D printed, or having nanometer-sized robots roaming around your body to monitor your health. Are you excited or scared? All of these technologies might seem like science fiction for now, but they could become reality in the next 25, or even 5 years.

The changing biopharma risk equation

Pharmaceutical companies are in an expansive mode. With rapid advances being made in the development of new therapies, including stem-cell derived therapies and gene therapies, and a growing cohort of potential customers in the burgeoning middle classes of emerging markets, expansion into both new product categories and geographic regions is a priority for most companies.

The changing biopharma risk equation

Pharmaceutical companies are in an expansive mode. With rapid advances being made in the development of new therapies, including stem-cell derived therapies and gene therapies, and a growing cohort of potential customers in the burgeoning middle classes of emerging markets, expansion into both new product categories and geographic regions is a priority for most companies.

The changing biopharma risk equation

However, this class of product—ranging from well-established large-molecule drugs to truly novel therapies—poses major challenges because of their scientific complexity and sophisticated development requirements. Furthermore, expanding the drug pipeline isn’t the only growth strategy most companies are pursuing: They are also planning to expand geographically and expect to face various risks doing so, including unfamiliar regulatory environments, shifts in pricing and customers’ ability to pay.

Reopening the ethical debate on genetic engineering

A new technique has made it possible and cheap to edit the human germline. Society needs to discuss the ethical implications sooner rather than later

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