World Health Day: Promising Healthcare Technologies Of 2017
Today is World Health Day, and to celebrate, we want to talk about game-changing healthcare technologies that will take 2017 by storm.
1- Changing diabetes
The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved the world’s first artificial pancreas last year in the US. It is a device that monitors blood sugar and automatically administers insulin, pretty much replicating what a real, normal, healthy pancreas would do, thus making life easier and more sustainable for diabetics.
Additionally, Google has recently patented a digital contact lense that measures blood sugar levels from the tears in patients’ eyes. No new have been officially published yet, but Google has entred a partnership with pharmaceutical company Novartis and rumor has it that the lense will become available for trials during 2017.
2 – Precision medicine in oncology
Digital technology is to begin transforming the available cancer care methods that are currently on the market. Personalized oncology is increasing its availability through start-ups and companies like Foundation Medicine and SmartPatients.
Foundation Medicine’s goal is introduce cancer genomics to cancer care, providing relevant information regarding patient-specific cancer treatments based on DNA tests, while SmartPatients wants to change cancer care empowering patients through an online community.
As time and technology advances, significant advances that could redefine cancer treatment are made. Last year it was al about liquid biopsy, which, although it has its limitations, is getting better with time and becoming more and more accessible to patients around the world.
3- Tech giants will step into health
We are all familiar with companies of the likes of Microsoft, Apple, IBM and Google showing interest in healthcare, however, Google seems to be the one with the highest chances of fully diving into the industry (we already talked about how they’re developing a blood glucose measuring contact lense in point 1). They are working with Calico to look for cures for anything that could lead us to death and they are currently working with Abbvie to accelerate the discovery, development and commercialization of new therapies.
