The aging population necessitates novel healthcare solutions, resulting in higher occurrences of ailments such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and arthritis, showing important advancements and breakthroughs in healthcare.
The three big innovation waves
Three key waves of medical innovation have dramatically impacted healthcare over the last 80 years.
1. The first wave involved the creation of small-molecule medicines that effectively cured many ailments. In the 1950s, this wave began. These medications, which include aspirin, Crestor, and cortisone, now account for 90% of contemporary therapies, making them an essential aspect of healthcare. Biologic medications, bigger proteins with 20,000 atoms that are generated using living sources to target specific body areas, were discovered in the 1980s. Since their discovery, these medicines, which operate on immune response cells outside the cell, have been particularly beneficial for patients with autoimmune disorders and cancer.
2. The second wave of therapeutic innovation already exists, and it involves using genetic data to figure out how the body operates on a molecular level. While scientists have been sequencing DNA successfully since the 1970s, this sequencing is a way of mapping a living thing’s whole DNA sequence.
3. The Human Genome Project produced the first entire human genome sequence in the early 2000s, providing the vital parts of a human being to be recorded entirely for the first time.
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Why is genomic sequencing so effective?
The market for genome sequencing is mostly used for research and healthcare applications. Understanding the sequences of human DNA provides for a molecular study of the human body and its impact on life. Additional studies can provide information on rare genetic disorders and population makeup. Consumer products that explore ancestry are also available on the market.
Healthcare Uses of Genome Sequencing
- Genome sequencing is poised to transform clinical uses, particularly in an aging environment. It will eliminate the demand for in-vitro samples in prenatal testing by permitting fetuses to be tested for chromosomal abnormalities. Within the next five years, early cancer diagnosis by DNA signals in the blood is expected. Illumina’s GRAIL subsidiary is at the forefront of this field, with a trial in the United Kingdom involving 165,000 volunteers. Improved cancer treatments, earlier screening, treatment options, monitoring, and improved post-therapy surveillance could all result from the genomic revolution.
- Given the possibility of such changes in the way we diagnose and treat ailments, as well as the number of possible research uses, there is a sizable total addressable market for companies that can deliver dependable genome sequencing services at a reasonable cost. One such business is Illumina. It is at the heart of gene sequencing due to its dominance in the machines and consumables required to sequence genetic material.
- Genomic profiling is revolutionizing healthcare by providing personalized medication based on an individual’s genetic profile. A $100 high-accuracy sequencer could reduce costs, improve patient outcomes, and potentially save the US $30 billion annually in oncology.
Conclusion
While genome sequencing possesses the potential to significantly enhance healthcare, it also raises serious ethical, societal, and governance concerns. While enhancing disease diagnosis and treatment is beneficial to society, issues remain concerning the ethical implications of gene editing as well as how sensitive data is utilized and secured. As firms like Illumina deliver this technology to a wider market, expect heated debate.
