A New Era in Pharmaceutical Industry: Integrating Digital Therapeutics in the Most Profitable Way

An interview with one of our speakers at our 3rd Annual Digital Therapeutics and Pharma Summit on 18th - 19th October 2023 in Vienna.

What are the benefits of a digitalised approach to pharmaceutical services? The secrets of RWD, AI, the new technological era in healthcare.

Q1: How can RWD be used to understand patient journeys, focus on medical strategies and personalise customer interactions?

As the name implies, Real-world data reflects real-world practice, which is most meaningful to healthcare providers and payers alike to help them in their decision-making process for adopting certain practices and technologies. Real-world data sources, such as electronic health records, claims data, and patient-generated data, can help decision-makers gain insights into patient pathways, decide on the best medical strategies, and what matters most in each stakeholder engagement. Here's how RWD can be used for these purposes:

Understanding Patient Journeys:

RWD can provide a comprehensive view of patient journeys by capturing data on patient demographics, medical history, treatment pathways, and outcomes of treatment associated with a certain technology or clinical practice.

Analysis of RWD can help healthcare providers and researchers identify patterns in patient care, treatment adherence, and healthcare utilisation, thus gaining insights into the real-world experiences of patients as well as linking this data to quality of life, healthcare cost and treatment outcomes.

Focusing on Medical Strategies

Healthcare organisations can leverage RWD to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of medical strategies and interventions in real-world settings; by analysing RWD, healthcare professionals can identify which treatment and healthcare strategies are most successful, which may require adjustments, and which strategies align best with patient preferences and outcomes. Such studies could include patient-reported outcome measures as well as metrics for desired outcomes, such as disease measures, number of visits, etc.

Personalising Customer Interactions

RWD can be cut and analysed in different ways that suit the perspectives and points of interest for a prospective stakeholder. E.g. showing the burden of illness for a certain disease in a specific geographical area may be of interest to a local healthcare provider for that particular area.

Outcome Tracking and Quality Improvement

RWD allows for ongoing monitoring of patient outcomes through disease registries, enabling healthcare organisations to assess the quality of care delivered and the effectiveness of treatments. By identifying areas where patient outcomes can be improved, healthcare providers can adjust their strategies and interventions accordingly.

Predictive Analytics

RWD can be used to develop predictive models that anticipate patient needs and healthcare trends. Predictive analytics can aid in proactively addressing health issues, reducing hospital readmissions, and optimising resource allocation.

Population Health Management

RWD is instrumental in population health management, helping healthcare organisations identify high-risk patient populations and implement preventive measures and interventions.

In conclusion, real-world data (RWD) in healthcare can provide valuable insights into how healthcare is delivered and can lead to more patient-centred, data-driven, and effective healthcare practices.

?

Q2: Digital therapeutics as an integral part of the pharmaceutical industry — Why does it matter?

Digital therapeutics offer new commercial opportunities, real-world data sources and can complement traditional pharmaceuticals to improve treatment outcomes. They offer personalised, data-driven approaches to therapy, allowing for real-time monitoring and adjustments to treatment plans. This can result in better patient adherence and more effective treatment. These digital interventions are gaining prominence and are becoming an integral part of the pharmaceutical industry for several compelling reasons:

1. The market for digital therapeutics is growing rapidly, presenting a significant revenue opportunity for pharmaceutical companies. Investing in DTx can diversify a company's portfolio and increase its competitiveness.
2. Regulatory agencies, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), increasingly recognise digital therapeutics as legitimate medical treatments. This has paved the way for pharmaceutical companies to develop and market DTx products alongside traditional drugs.
3. Digital therapeutics (DTx) generate vast amounts of data that can be used for research and development. Pharmaceutical companies can leverage this data to gain insights into patient behaviour, treatment efficacy, and disease progression, which can inform drug development and clinical trials.
4. DTx can be used in conjunction with traditional pharmaceuticals to enhance their effects. For example, a digital therapy app for mental health can be used alongside medication to provide a more holistic treatment approach and improve treatment outcomes.
5. DTx allows for remote monitoring of patients, reducing the need for in-person visits and minimising the risk of disease transmission and, potentially, pressure on healthcare providers. This has become especially relevant in the context of the post-COVID-19 pandemic clinical practice.
6. DTx can be personalised to suit individual patient needs and preferences. This level of personalisation can lead to better treatment adherence and outcomes, as well as reduced side effects.
7. DTx empowers patients to take a more active role in their healthcare. Patients can monitor their health, receive timely feedback, and make informed decisions about their treatment. This increased engagement can lead to improved health outcomes.
8. By preventing and managing chronic conditions more effectively, DTx can reduce the overall healthcare costs for both patients and healthcare systems. This is particularly important as healthcare costs continue to rise globally.

As healthcare continues to evolve, embracing digital therapeutics can help pharmaceutical companies stay at the forefront of innovation and deliver better outcomes for patients.

?

Q3: How can artificial intelligence be successfully applied to promote the well-being of each patient?

?AI holds immense potential for promoting the well-being of each patient within the context of personalised medicine. Here are several ways AI can be successfully applied to achieve this:

Predictive Analytics

AI can analyse vast amounts of patient data, including genetic information, medical history, lifestyle data, and real-time health monitoring data, to predict the risk of developing specific diseases or health complications. This enables early intervention and preventive measures tailored to individual patients based on patterns detected by AI to identify patients at risk or predict patient response to treatment.

When it comes to treating patients, AI algorithms can analyse patient data to create personalised treatment plans. This includes selecting the most appropriate medications, dosages, and treatment schedules based on the patient's genetics, disease progression, and responses to previous therapies.

To support clinical decision-making on patient treatments, AI-driven clinical decision-support systems provide healthcare professionals with real-time recommendations and insights based on a patient's specific health data. This assists in making more informed treatment decisions and reduces medical errors. It also ensures that all possible diagnoses and potential treatments have been considered.?

The responsible clinician can also utilise AI-powered wearable devices and sensors that regularly or continuously monitor patients' vital signs, activity levels, and other health metrics. This data can be analysed to detect early signs of health deterioration or non-compliance with treatment plans, enabling timely interventions and appropriate management of patients' conditions.

Using such devices can empower patients and give them more control over their treatment.?AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can also engage with patients to provide education, reminders, and support for medication adherence, lifestyle changes, and overall well-being.

Within the context of clinical research and drug discovery, AI can accelerate drug discovery by analysing molecular data, identifying potential drug candidates, and predicting their efficacy and safety. This leads to the development of more targeted and effective therapies for individual patients but will also restrict licensed indications to specific patient characteristics and biomarkers.?

Natural Language Processing (NLP) algorithms can extract valuable information from unstructured clinical notes and patient records, making it easier to create comprehensive patient profiles and understand their unique needs, as well as make real-world evidence studies based on chart reviews much easier and shorter to conduct.

From the perspective of budget management and healthcare service provision, AI can optimise resource allocation in healthcare systems by predicting patient admissions, identifying bottlenecks in care delivery, and ensuring that patients receive the right level of care at the right time whilst reducing their time at the healthcare facility. It will also be valuable for identifying cost-saving strategies for healthcare providers.

AI can play a role in ensuring ethical and equitable healthcare by helping identify biases in treatment recommendations and access disparities, thereby promoting the well-being of all patients regardless of background. It can also be used to aid Research Ethics decision-makers when considering clinical studies for ethics approvals, as it can be trained on previous clinical trial considerations from an ethical perspective.

Ahmed is a Global Health Economics and Outcomes Research Director at BMS working in the field of Haematology. He has 13 years of experience in Health Economics and Outcomes Research, having worked in both consulting and several pharmaceutical companies on both UK affiliate and global levels. Before working in the Pharmaceutical sector, Ahmed was a clinical pharmacist in NHS Hospitals in the UK, specialising in oncology and cancer care. He holds a Master’s degree in Health Policy Planning and Financing from the London School of Economics and Political Science, a Master’s degree in Pharmacy from the University of Sunderland and a Clinical Diploma in Pharmacy Practice from UCL.

Ahmed lives in London, UK and is a public speaking mentor at Toastmasters International. He is also an advanced scuba diver, an avid skier and a car enthusiast.