Drug Development by Using ICT
Global pharmaceutical companies such as Novartis, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline are accelerating the development of new drugs based on smartphones, artificial intelligence (AI) and big data. However, it is pointed out that Korea regarded as an IT powerhouse urgently needs to change its recognition of such trials since Korea does not make even any attempts in this regard.
According to industry sources, Novartis recently launched a mobile clinical study using smartphones’ motion sensors for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), a refractory neurological disease that causes numb hands and legs, vision loss, and paralysis. Its mobile clinical study used Apple's "Research Kit," which allows physicians and scientists to collect health-related data from users.
Medically advanced countries such as the US and European nations started early on with clinical research using mobile phones. In 2011, Pfizer designed a mobile clinical trial that was reviewed and approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and conducted clinical studies by collecting patients’ experiences in overactive bladder therapies in a virtual space without going to hospitals. In July this year, GSK, the largest pharmaceutical company in the United Kingdom, began clinical research by collecting data on 300 rheumatoid arthritis patients through Apple's Research Kit platform. Last year, IBM collected sleeping habit data for sleep pattern research by using smartphones and "Watson Health Cloud" Application.
In response to these changes, start-ups are also emerging to perform mobile clinical trials. Science 37 based in Los Angeles developed a platform for patients to participate in clinical practice at home without having to visit hospitals and clinics. Sanofi, a French-based multinational pharmaceutical company, invested US$31 million in Science 37 last year. Start-up monARC founded last year in San Francisco started to register patients in January of this year and will soon carry out a mobile clinical trial for idiopathic pulmonary disease on 75 patients.
The reason why mobile clinical trials are garnering attention is that they slash cost of 100 to 200 million won (US$90,000 to US$180,000) per person. They also save patients’ visits to hospitals and clinics. In the case of cancer drugs, clinical trials will be conducted in large hospitals in the US and Europe. However, only about 2% of ethnic minorities are involved so additional cost and time are required to export new drugs to countries other than European countries and the US.
Mobile clinical trials are booming in the global market, but Korean pharmaceutical companies are doing nothing about it. Some start-ups such as Standigm and Parminogen have explored new drug candidates using AI technology, but there has been no progress in forging alliance with pharmaceutical companies. The Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association announced that it will help pharmaceutical companies dramatically reduce new drug development processes and periods by establishing the "Artificial Intelligence Drug Development Support Center (tentative name)" last month, but a concrete method is not still on the way.