In this episode of The Future Of, Gabby Everett, Director of Business Operations and Strategy at BioLabs Pegasus Park, and Claire Aldridge, Chief Strategy Officer at Form Bio, join host Jeff Dance to discuss the future of biotech. They unveil the advancements, challenges, and ethical considerations in the biotech industry. Discover the potential of the genomics and omics revolution, the impact of COVID-19 on biotech, and the transformative potential of biotechnology in shaping the future of healthcare.
They Cover:
- [09:10] - The biotech industry has seen transformative growth over three decades. Claire and Gabby recognize the ongoing genomics revolution as we're moving beyond simply treating symptoms with tools like CAR T-cell therapy and gene therapy, aiming for disease-modifying solutions. A significant trend is integrating computational tools in biotech. With the vast "omics" data available, sophisticated software can offer crucial insights. Coupled with AI and machine learning, we're directing toward an era of personalized medicine, where doctors can tailor treatments based on individual genetics.
- [15:15] - The biotech sector experienced an unprecedented surge during the pandemic, building on pre-existing work. Remarkably, just months after the coronavirus sequence was published, scientists approved groundbreaking mRNA vaccines, which suggests we can accelerate drug development processes without compromising safety. COVID-19 also provided an unexpected lens into precision medicine. As a diverse global population contracted the virus, we gained insights into disease progression, long COVID, and asymptomatic cases. Such data could shape future therapeutic designs. Moreover, the pandemic highlighted biotech's significance, drawing substantial investments. However, a challenge was the deficiency in scientific communication. With misinformation rife, especially on social media, we recognized the need to convey scientific findings more effectively to maintain public trust.
- [20:13] - Biotechnology presents various ethical challenges, so the cornerstone of addressing them lies in transparency in methodologies, potential uses of these tools, and maintaining strict protection. Venturing into new territories often provokes debate and skepticism. Nevertheless, the primary drive behind these technological advancements is societal progress.
- [21:29] - The future of biotech is intertwined with personalized precision medicine, tailoring treatments to an individual's genetic profile. By employing AI and machine learning, we can sift through vast datasets to determine the most effective treatments, moving beyond only addressing symptoms to targeting disease origins. With AI's capabilities, we'll identify early molecular indicators of disease, allowing interventions before any physical manifestation occurs.
- [31:00] - Real-world evidence is reshaping the landscape of clinical trials. Traditionally, the benchmark was placebo-controlled, double-blind trials where participants didn't know if they were receiving the actual drug. This method aims to minimize the placebo effect. However, with the introduction of invasive treatments, such as spinal cord drug delivery, ethical concerns arise. Thanks to the expansive data from electronic medical records, we can potentially harness these insights to understand disease progression, identify essential biomarkers, and determine the most relevant tests.
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Previous guests include: Gurdeep Pall of Microsoft, Carolyn Belle of Astroscale, Kane Simms of VUX World, Rogger Kibbe of Samsung Research America, Rob Tiffany of Sustainable Logix, Katrina Stevens of Tech Interactive,
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