The last couple of years has proved that medicine can evolve at an astonishing pace, with COVID-19 vaccinations having the potential to offer general protection against the once-fierce coronavirus. But the next medical innovation might not be of a one-size-fits-all type.
Pharmaceutical industry research suggests that some of the most notorious illnesses on the planet may soon be treated and possibly even cured by precision medicine.
What is precision medicine?
Precision medicine is a revolutionary approach that involves many more resources as well as possibilities to identify a health problem using a set of specific instruments that can optimize the current assumption-based treatment. This approach not only prevents the development of diseases but also improves their treatment by analyzing each patient’s genetic information, medical history, and even lifestyle.
Precision medicine trends for 2022 and beyond
Finding treatments for neurological disorders, which doctors expect to become more common with increasing life expectancy and population expansion around the globe, depends on precision medicine. These are the trends to look out for today:
1. More applications in oncology
Today’s precision medicine is mainly used for developing new therapies with treatment for cancer being the most popular.
The list of cancers that today can be treated using precision medicine includes:
- Colon cancer
- Breast cancer
- Lung carcinoma
- Specific types of leukemia
- Specific types of lymphoma
- Melanoma
- Esophageal carcinoma
- Gastric cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Thyroid cancer
2. More applications in non-oncology
With advancements in genomic studies, precision medicine could also be used in non-oncology, for instance, to treat infectious and cardiovascular diseases, as well as health problems linked to the central nervous system.
As more research is made into precision medicine, it is expected that healthcare specialists will be able to even treat Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s, both caused by continuous damage to brain cells.
3. The market to become more competitive
The reason why experts anticipate this will become a competitive market is that, apart from some big players such as Pfizer and Novartis, new mid-sized and smaller businesses have started to appear and are releasing new technologies.
In 2021, the value of the precision medicine market was estimated at US$66.1 billion, and experts believe by 2028 this figure will hit US$140.69 billion.
Some of the drivers boosting the market include:
- The growing approval of pharmaceuticals along with their associated diagnostic tests
- Affordable DNA profiling
- Rising cancer incidence rates
- The development of data-driven healthcare
4. Choosing the best antibiotics will become easier
Usually, when a patient is ill, healthcare specialists attempt to identify the most suitable antibiotic to prescribe. Sometimes this is not an easy process, especially when no testing is available. Precision medicine allows specialists to sequence the bacteria by analyzing blood samples to identify what is causing illness and thus saving a lot of time.
5. Pharmacogenomics is expected to grow
Currently, changing drugs or changing the dosage requires doctors to draw assumptions. Pharmacogenomics, the study of how genes react to medications, is developing and will continue to do so as precision medicine advances.
In the United States, thousands of people are taking part in pharmacogenomic studies which should enable medical professionals to monitor how rapidly the body breaks down medications. In addition, experts are able to evaluate the risks of specific adverse effects from the given medications.
Final word:
By learning more about human conditions, precision medicine seeks to help doctors to diagnose patients with higher accuracy.
It should be mentioned that currently, precision medicine is just at the beginning of its journey with more research and investments required into AI, bioinformatics (a scientific field that involves using computer technology to gather, store, examine and distribute biological information like DNA) amongst other areas. With advancements in precision medicine, we will soon witness better results in scanning, diagnostics and monitoring.
To remain successful, modern companies try to stay on top of the newest trends and seek advice from reputable experts to outperform their rivals. This refers to businesses from various industries, including healthcare. With this in mind, we suggest you get in touch with RightAngle Global if you’re seeking to get much-needed insights from reputable professionals. By analyzing their expertise and relevance we find the most suitable subject matter experts for you.
Suggested reading:
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