The Biodrug revolution

Innumerous innovations in technology are transforming the life sciences sector. In particular, we’re learning more about the therapeutic advantages of biological treatments such as antibody therapies, vaccines, gene therapies and cell therapies. Otherwise known as Biodrugs, these drugs contain active ingredients – either complex biological molecules, or produced from living systems, such as cells or tissues.

Many Biodrugs represent the cutting-edge of biomedical research and have the potential to treat a variety of medical conditions for which no other treatments are available. Some Biodrugs are global therapies, for example, such as the therapeutic proteins and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) commonly used for treatment across large populations, while some cell and gene therapies are highly personalized and developed to be able to act at genome or cellular level in specific host patient human cells.

Today, nucleotide technologies such as mRNA are within our reach and show great promise for personalized medicine and for diseases that were previously considered untreatable.

The next step, however, is to produce these Biodrugs at scale and at an acceptable price.

The challenges here are mostly technological, and many can be improved through a joined-up approach to digital technology, incorporating better data collection and processing using cutting edge tools. As Biodrugs become more and more complex, biotechnologies and cutting-edge technologies have to be considered in one holistic approach, combining specialized knowledge and AI within multi-functional teams.

Capgemini Engineering’s latest whitepaper discusses these challenges, and looks at how digital technologies and intelligent industry will boost the life sciences sector.