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Whitepaper: Nanotechnology's Potential in the Realm of Nanorobotics for Medical Applications
Introduction:
The medical world has consistently sought innovative ways to diagnose and treat diseases with higher accuracy and minimal invasiveness. Enter nanorobotics – a technology that stands poised to transform healthcare by enabling treatments and diagnostics at the cellular or even molecular level.
This white paper explores the latest advancements in nanorobotics and their application within the realm of healthcare, highlighting potential game-changers and addressing the challenges they face.
Addressing Global Medical Challenges with Nanorobotic Innovations:
Medical applications are a global challenge that needs cutting-edge technology, and one of the most promising areas here is nanorobotics.
At the nanoscale, robots exhibit unique properties that can be tailored to meet the specific needs of medical treatments.
A report by the European Commission said: “Tiny nano-sized robots and vehicles that can navigate through blood vessels to reach the site of a disease could be used to deliver drugs to tumours that are otherwise difficult to treat.”
For example, nanorobots possess exceptional navigational and precision capabilities, plus remarkable responsiveness, miniaturisation, and resistance to biological barriers. This enables more cost-effective and targeted drug delivery, enhancing the efficiency of treating complex diseases.
Incorporating nanorobots into medical treatments enables the development of more cost-effective and precise yet minimally invasive procedures, ultimately enhancing the efficiency of addressing health challenges.
Medical applications can also benefit from nanoscale coatings: thin layers of material are applied to nanorobots to defend against immune system responses or enhance biocompatibility. These protein, lipid, or polymer coatings can avoid or reduce immune system detection while enabling targeted delivery, thereby safeguarding nanorobots from biological defences and ensuring treatment efficacy and patient safety.
A third nanoscale boost to medicine comes from nanosensors embedded within nanorobots, tiny devices able to detect and measure physiological changes. In medical treatments, nanosensors can monitor blood glucose, pH levels, and inflammation markers and identify pathogens or cellular anomalies, ensuring patient health, preventing complications and extending therapeutic benefits.
Potential barriers to entry in nanorobotics:
Challenges to widespread adoption include:
· Complexity of design: Given the microscopic size of nanorobots, designing them for specific medical tasks is intricate and demanding.
· Safety and biocompatibility: Ensuring that nanorobots can function within the human body without causing adverse reactions is paramount.
· Regulatory hurdles: Before nanorobots can be deployed for medical applications, they must undergo rigorous testing and gain regulatory approvals, adding layers of complexity to their market introduction.
Size of the market:
Despite barriers, the market for nanorobotics in advanced materials science is rapidly growing. A study by GlobeNewsWire states the worldwide nanorobots market is projected to attain a value of USD 12.69 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 7.32% during the forecasted period.
The rising demand for enhanced materials with better durability, resistance, and adaptability fuels this growth. As industries like aerospace, automotive, and electronics push for higher-performance materials, nanorobotics is emerging as a critical enabler.
Success Stories in Medical Nanorobotics:
A report by Biomedcentral said: “With the progress of nanotechnology, nanobots enable the assembly and deployment of functional molecular/nanosized machines and are increasingly being utilized in cancer diagnosis and therapeutic treatment.”
Targeted Cancer Therapy: Scientists at ETH Zurich developed magnetically controlled nanorobots that can "swim" through the bloodstream, targeting cancerous tumours and administering localised therapy. This ensures maximum impact on the tumour cells while preserving surrounding healthy cells.
Micro/Nanorobot Design and Propulsion: Using laser direct writing 3D printing, Li et al. successfully crafted fishtail-like micro/nanorobots with high precision. When coated with platinum, these robots self-propelled in hydrogen peroxide by producing bubbles. The multi-channel fishtail design notably enhanced the speed and thrust of the robot, underscoring a significant stride in micro/nanorobotics.
Investments and startups in medical nanorobotics:
Funding in nanorobotics is rising, with established medical tech companies and innovative startups taking the lead.
Prominent firms venturing into the domain include:
· Nanobiotix: This firm has secured over $40 million in funding and is at the forefront of nanomedicine, focusing on cancer treatment.
· Genedit: This firm has designed a gene medicine delivery mechanism. Their NanoGalaxy system, built on non-viral, non-lipid polymer-based nanoparticles, efficiently transports genetic treatments to the target tissues for disease intervention.
Key academic institutions in medical nanorobotics:
Global academic stalwarts are intensively researching in the field:
Harvard’s Wyss Institute: Leading in biologically inspired engineering, the institute is pioneering various nanorobotic applications, particularly DNA-based robots.
Max Planck Institute - Germany: Focuses on harnessing nanorobotics for targeted drug delivery and precision surgery.
University of California - San Diego: UCSD's research emphasizes the development of biocompatible nanorobots for diverse medical applications.
A study by Stanford University stated: “A Stanford mechanical engineer creates multifunctional wireless robots to maximize health outcomes and minimize invasiveness of procedures.”
Stanford University's School of Medicine - USA: Recognized for its innovative research, Stanford's teams are working on the interface of nanotechnology and medicine, designing nanorobots for applications like real-time monitoring of physiological conditions.
ETH Zurich - Switzerland: At the Department of Health Sciences and Technology, researchers are focusing on developing nanorobots for therapeutic interventions, particularly in accessing hard-to-reach regions of the human body.
National University of Singapore (NUS) - Singapore: Within their Department of Biomedical Engineering, NUS researchers are exploring the potential of magnetically guided nanorobots for targeted therapeutic interventions.
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) - Switzerland: With a strong emphasis on bioengineering, EPFL is working on nanoscale robots that can navigate through bodily fluids, offering a new paradigm for non-invasive medical treatments.
Academic References:
“Tremendous efforts from the nanorobotic community have greatly improved the power, motion control, functionality versatility, and capabilities of the various micro/nanorobotic prototypes. The growing sophistication of these nano/microscale robots offers great potential for diverse biomedical applications.” Spokespersons for the National Library of Medicine, LINK.
“Nanotechnology can support counteracting infectious diseases with effective diagnosis, treatment and mitigation of the infection spread.” Dr Cecilia Mattevi, Faculty of Engineering, Imperial College London, LINK.
"Nanorobotics offers remarkable precision and efficiency in both medical and industrial fields. Their capacity for molecular-level tasks enhances accuracy and affordability, enabling treatments and diagnostics at the cellular level and addressing global health challenges with game-changing innovations. These advancements not only promise better patient outcomes but also herald cost-effective and minimally invasive solutions, representing one of the key paths to a brighter future." - Paul Stannard, Chairman and Founder at World Nano Foundation, LINK.
Conclusion:
The evolution of technology continually shapes medical advancements, and nanorobotics emerges as a pivotal factor in this transformation, especially in precision medicine and diagnostics.
While challenges and barriers to implementation persist, the realm of nanorobotics in healthcare is expanding at an unprecedented rate. Investments, burgeoning startups, esteemed institutions, and research hubs underscore the importance of pioneering nanorobotic solutions for medical challenges.
Through rigorous research and synergistic collaborations, these entities stress the significance of innovation and dedicated resources in the progression of nanomedicine.
With steadfast commitment to research and interdisciplinary collaboration, nanorobotics is poised to catalyse a medical revolution. It promises to be an invaluable asset for medical professionals, enabling them to devise treatments and interventions with unparalleled accuracy, heralding a new era of enhanced patient care.
Note to Editors: Nanorobotics in Healthcare and Biomedicine Whitepaper
This white paper on nanorobotics' potential applications and implications in the healthcare and biomedicine sector is founded on an exhaustive examination of current literature, scientific papers, and authoritative reports from leading voices in the overlapping realms of nanotechnology, robotics, and medicine. The research methodology underpinning this white paper consists of the following steps:
· Literature Review: A meticulous review of literature was undertaken to assimilate pertinent information about the cutting-edge developments in nanorobotics and their prospective roles in healthcare. This encompassed mining various scientific databases, academic journals, industry whitepapers, and recognized online platforms to aggregate a spectrum of trusted sources.
· Data Collection: The collation process gleaned data on the design and functioning of nanorobots, their distinct properties, and their envisaged applications in diagnostics, drug delivery, surgical assistance, and cellular repair. Concurrently, insights about the challenges, ethical considerations, and foreseeable transformative effects stemming from the incorporation of nanorobotics in the healthcare domain were gathered. Emphasis was consistently maintained on the most recent breakthroughs and evolutions in the domain.
· Data Analysis: Once amassed, the data underwent a rigorous analytical process aimed at pinpointing cardinal themes, trajectories, and insights. This analytical stage melded information from disparate sources, spotlighting recurring motifs, consolidating overlapping data, and sculpting cogent interpretations. The final synthesized narrative sheds light on how nanorobotics could reshape the future of healthcare and the pivotal milestones along this path.
Table of Contents:
1. Introduction
· Overview of Nanorobotics
· Significance in Medical Field
· Nanorobotics in Medicine
2. Targeted Drug Delivery
· Mechanism of Action
· Potential Impacts
· Surgical Assistance
· Traditional vs. Nanorobot-assisted
· Benefits & Considerations
· Disease Diagnostics
· Advancements & Innovations
· Comparative Benefits
· Cell Repair
· Mechanism & Potential
· Future Perspectives
3. Potential Barriers to Entry in Nanorobotics
· Technical Challenges
· Ethical Considerations
· Regulatory Landscape
4. Size of the Market
· Current Valuation
· Future Projections
· Influencing Factors
5. Success Stories in Medical Nanorobotics
· Breakthrough Researches
· Real-life Applications & Impacts
6. Investments and Startups in Medical Nanorobotics
· Investment Trends
· Leading Startups & Their Contributions
· Market Reception
7. Key Academic Institutions in Medical Nanorobotics
· Research Focus & Innovations
· Collaboration & Partnerships
· Pioneering Figures & Their Work
8. Academic References
9. Conclusion
Glossary:
· Nanorobotics: A branch of nanotechnology that deals with the design, fabrication, and applications of robots with dimensions on the nanoscale (typically less than a micrometer).
· Biocompatibility: The characteristic of a material signifying its suitability and safety when introduced into living tissue. It shouldn't invoke an immune response.
· CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate; an investment's annual growth rate over time, with the effect of compounding taken into account.
· Micro/Nanorobot Propulsion: The techniques and methods that allow tiny robots to move, especially in fluid environments like the bloodstream. It could be chemical, biological, or physical propulsion.
· DNA-based robots: Robots or structures assembled using DNA molecules. They can perform simple tasks and are often used in drug delivery and biosensing applications.
· Physiological conditions: Refers to the normal, healthy state of an organism or cell. Abnormalities may indicate disease or disorder.
· Precision Medicine: An approach to patient care that allows doctors to select treatments most likely to help patients based on a genetic understanding of their disease.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
· Market Growth: Measured by the CAGR, this KPI tracks the growth trajectory of the nanorobotics market, shedding light on its potential and acceptance.
· Funding Amount: Reflects the financial confidence investors have in the sector. A rising trend suggests growing optimism about the commercial viability of nanorobotics.
· Research Output: The volume and quality of publications, studies, or patents from pivotal institutions. A higher output typically correlates with sector maturity and innovation.
· Clinical Trials: This KPI evaluates the number of trials and their respective success rates, providing insights into the clinical adoption and effectiveness of nanorobotics technologies.
· Adoption Rates: Reflects how swiftly and extensively the medical community is integrating nanorobotics technologies. It can hint at the real-world utility and efficacy of these solutions.
· Safety Incidents: Critical for gauging nanorobotics' reliability and potential risks. A lower incident rate can boost public and professional trust.
To access additional information on White Papers from the World Nano Foundation, please explore the following resources:
Whitepaper: Nanotechnology's Impact on Sustainable Agriculture through Key Commercial Applications
Whitepaper: From centralized to decentralized healthcare - overcoming challenges and seizing opportunities through nanotechnology
Introduction:
Nanoscale innovation – notably nanomedicine and nano diagnostics – can be a gamechanger for healthcare, enabling a paradigm shift from a centralized model to a decentralized approach in that sector.
Nanotechnology involves the design, production, and use of materials at nanoscale level – a nanometre is a billionth of a metre. In healthcare, this tiny technology can diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases more effectively, delivering much improved health outcomes for patients.
This white paper aims to explore the many practical and commercial healthcare applications for nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology healthcare applications:
Nanoparticles can be used to create prosthetic limbs, pacemakers, and other medical devices.
· Diagnostics: nanoparticles can be used to detect biomarkers for various diseases, including cancer, through techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and positron emission tomography (PET).
Nanoparticles can also be engineered to bind to specific cells or tissues, easing disease identification and diagnosis.
· Therapeutics and drug delivery: nanoparticles engineered to carry drugs can then target specific cells or tissues, reducing the amount of drug needed, controlling the dosage over a specified time if required and minimizing side effects. For example, nanoparticles can carry chemotherapy drugs directly to cancer cells, boosting efficacy of the treatment while reducing side effects.
· Implants: nanoparticles can help create biocompatible implants, more readily accepted by the body. This technology can be used to create prosthetic limbs, pacemakers, and other medical devices.
· Anti-counterfeiting: nanotechnology can prevent counterfeiting of commercial drugs by adding tiny particles, known as quantum dots, to the drug packaging or the drug itself. Quantum dots are nanoscale crystals that emit a specific colour when excited by light. The colour can be controlled by changing the size of the quantum dots.
Investment and commercial start-ups:
The nanotechnology market size for healthcare applications, such as nanomedicine, nano diagnostics, quantum dot materials, cancer treatments using nanotechnology, and graphene – another nanomaterial – is hard to quantify as it encompasses various sub-sectors and applications. However, a recent report by Grand View Research, valued the global nanotechnology market at USD 54.2 billion and forecast a 14.9% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from now up to 2028.
Nanomedicine is one of the fastest-growing nanotechnologies, driven by advancements in drug delivery, disease diagnosis, and imaging technologies. Allied Market Research has valued the global nanomedicine market size at nearly $200 million, and projects it will almost double to $393 million by 2030 with a 9.2% CAGR.
Nano diagnostics is another promising nanotechnology sub-sector, driven by increasing demand for point-of-care testing, personalized medicine, and non-invasive diagnostic technologies. Market Research Future has forecast a global nano diagnostics market worth $15.8 billion by 2027 on the back of a 7.8% CAGR.
Quantum dots has emerged as a new class of nanomaterials with unique optical and electronic properties for various healthcare applications, including imaging, drug delivery, and cancer therapy. MarketsandMarkets says the quantum dot market will hit $8.6 billion by 2026, representing a CAGR of 16.2%.
A report by Precedence Research has valued the global cancer treatments market at $286 billion and expects it to more than double to $581 billion by 2030 - a 8.2% CAGR.
Cancer treatments using nanotechnology and nanoparticles are also making healthcare headlines, with several promising drug delivery and imaging technologies in development. A report by Precedence Research has valued the global cancer treatments market at $286 billion and expects it to more than double to $581 billion by 2030 - a 8.2% CAGR.
Graphene, a two-dimensional nanomaterial with unique mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties, offers yet more healthcare breakthroughs, notably in drug delivery, biosensors, and tissue engineering. FortuneBusinessInsights has estimated the global graphene market at $337 million, growing to over $2 billion by 2029 – a 30.5% CAGR.
Not surprisingly, the nanotechnology opportunities in healthcare has fostered numerous start-ups and developments, notably:
· Nanospectra Biosciences: has a technology called AuroLase using gold nanoparticles to treat cancer. The nanoparticles are injected into the body and then activated by a laser, which heats the particles and destroys cancer cells.
· Respicardia: has created a pacemaker-like device that uses nanotechnology to stimulate the phrenic nerve, which controls breathing. The device is used to treat sleep apnea, a condition that causes breathing to stop and start during sleep.
· Nanopore Technologies: has developed a device that uses nanopores – tiny pores in a nanomaterial – to sequence DNA in real-time, providing rapid and accurate results.
· BIND Therapeutics: is a biopharmaceutical company researching nanotechnology-based targeted delivery of therapeutic drugs to cancer cells.
· Niramai: uses nanotechnology-based thermal imaging for the early detection of breast cancer.
· Resonant Nanotech: develops and produces graphene-based biosensors for various applications, including point-of-care diagnostics and environmental monitoring.
· CytImmune: specialises in cancer treatments based on its proprietary nanotechnology platform, which enhances delivery of therapeutic agents to tumors.
· Exicure: develops gene therapies using its proprietary nanotechnology-based platform, which enhances the delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids to target cells.
Academic Institutes:
Numerous academic institutes are also working to apply the science of nanotechnology and improve healthcare outcomes, and here are some of the most notable:
UCLA is creating nanotechnology-based therapies for conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurological disorders.
The Center for Nanomedicine and Biomedical Engineering, USA – located at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the center is creating nanotechnology-based therapies for various acute conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurological disorders.
The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, USA – is at Harvard University and developing nanotechnology-based medical devices, including implantable sensors and drug delivery systems.
The Institute for Molecular Manufacturing, USA – based in Palo Alto, California, the institute is developing molecular machines, including nanobots to treat diseases.
National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore – the NUS Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative (NUSNNI) is a multidisciplinary research centre focused on innovative nanotechnology solutions for healthcare, including nanomedicine, nano diagnostics, and nano biosensors.
Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute (TBSI), China – a joint research venture between Tsinghua University and the University of California, Berkeley, its nanotechnology research includes nanomedicine, cancer therapy, and drug delivery.
University College London (UCL), UK – the UCL Centre for Nanotechnology and Regenerative Medicine focuses on research into nanomedicine, regenerative medicine, and tissue engineering.
University of Cambridge, UK – the Cambridge Centre for Medical Materials (CCMM) is a multidisciplinary research center working on advanced materials for healthcare applications, with key areas being nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems, tissue engineering, and medical implants.
Technical University of Munich, Germany – the Institute for Biological and Medical Imaging (IBMI) is developing innovative imaging technologies for healthcare applications, especially through nanotechnology-based imaging agents, molecular imaging, and in vivo imaging.
KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden – the Division of Nanobiotechnology at KTH is working on nanotechnology-based solutions for healthcare applications, notably nanomedicine, biosensors, and drug delivery using nanoparticles.
Monash University, Australia – the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS) is researching innovative drug delivery systems using nanotechnologies, notably nanomedicine, targeted drug delivery, and nanoscale drug formulation.
Potential Barriers to healthcare decentralization:
Transition from a centralized to a decentralized healthcare model is a complex and challenging process needing significant investment, technological innovation, and policy changes.
Barriers to entry can include:
· Infrastructure: decentralized healthcare requires a robust and efficient infrastructure, including communication networks, data storage and sharing systems, and often expensive cutting-edge medical devices.
This can be costly and time-consuming, especially in developing countries with limited resources. However, advances in technology, such as cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT), can help here by sharing data and knowledge, while many nanotechnology healthcare breakthroughs are also cutting the cost of care, a point raised by a Forbes report:
“Nanotechnologies are able to significantly improve medical diagnostics by making them less expensive and convenient. A great example of this is smart pills, enabling doctors and patients to monitor a staggering number of diseases.”
· Regulatory and policy barriers: these can impede transition to decentralized healthcare. For example, current regulations may not allow the telemedicine or remote monitoring technologies essential to decentralized healthcare.
· Patient adoption: patients may resist new technologies and healthcare delivery models, so it is essential to invest in educating patients about the benefits of decentralized healthcare and provide them with easy-to-use and accessible technologies.
Conclusion:
Nanoscale innovation offers significant support towards decentralization of healthcare systems allowing early intervention solutions delivered at the point of care for better outcomes, rather than sending patients to a central location.
Decentralisation can achieve this by enabling earlier and more accurate diagnoses, personalized treatments, and remote monitoring, while applications such as nanomedicine, nano diagnostics, and nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems are helping to shift the focus from treating illnesses – often when they are too well established – to preventing or catching them early.
By improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs, nanotech innovation is also helping to create a more patient-centric and accessible healthcare system.
Further nanotechnology investment and research can only speed the beneficial transition to a decentralized early intervention healthcare model.
Technology can cure healthcare’s inflation sickness
Digitisation and new technologies must be used to counter the spiralling and unsustainable cost of healthcare, say experts.
Medical care budgets around the world soared 6.8% in 2020 against a global inflation rate of just 2.4%, according to insurance brokerage and advisory company Willis Towers Watson.
This highlights a longstanding problem for many first world countries. For instance, the UK’s average annual healthcare expenditure increase since 1958/59 has been 3.9%, consistently higher than its own national and the global inflation average over those years.
Technology can cure healthcare’s inflation sickness
And the Office for National statistics estimates £269 billion was spent on UK healthcare in 2020 – 20% more than 2019.
The World Nano Foundation (WNF), a not-for-profit organisation that supports commercialising nanoscale technology including nanomedicines, says the issue must be addressed:
"Current operation of global healthcare is simply not sustainable,” said WNF co-founder Paul Sheedy. “Our centralised model uses hospitals to treat almost every ailment or condition, but patients should only come to hospital when they cannot be treated and monitored at home. This is what has fuelled this above-inflation high-cost system and incidentally, also exacerbated the COVID-19 infection rate.
"And developing countries are trying to copy these costly and inefficient systems too, leading to poorer quality of care and disease infection risk.”
Instead, he called for a decentralised and sustainable model, utilising digitisation and technology:
"Last year's pandemic showed that we already had the technology to diagnose and treat patients at home through telemedicine, while cost-effective remote health monitoring devices for multiple diseases and health issues are also arriving and improving constantly.
"Meanwhile, other technology and treatments are also being developed to enable hospitals and health centres to treat patients more quickly and effectively, and avoid being overloaded.”
Paul Stannard, chairman and general partner at the Vector Innovation Fund (VIF), which specialises in investment towards healthcare technology and pandemic protection, also voiced support:
"COVID-19 has shown us that global healthcare must evolve into a more efficient, cost-effective system, and I’m hugely encouraged to see how healthcare tech investment soared 47% in 2020 to a new sector high of $51 billion, with healthcare tech investment deal sizes rising to record levels during 2021 so far.
"Investors are continuing to back the sector to thrive, after seeing that healthtech is on the verge of some ground-breaking innovations."
Technology investment will transform global healthcare away from an illness service
Healthcare must become a genuine health service, not an illness service, according to Robert Stern, chairman of digital health champion Future Perfect.
It was currently too reactive instead of preventive, he argued further in an article for the influential multi-media Health Tech Digital outlet:
“The journey a patient takes is, in theory, a simple, step-by-step process. When no more care is needed, the journey ends – until the next problem arises.
“It waits for problems to appear before action is taken. It doesn’t make use of the active, digitally enabled patient.”
Technology investment will transform global healthcare away from an illness service
Stern advocates a two-prong approach to creating a preventive healthcare system: empowering the patient to prevent illness and then breaking down barriers to prevention over cure.
He urges increased use of healthcare apps to empower patients while integrating them with patient journey records. With patients managing their own care, problems could be spotted sooner, helping to avoid crisis while giving patients greater access to their GPs and specialists.
“These apps could become a staple part of the patient journey that often traverses beyond the pathway of any one particular condition. This would allow both patient and clinicians to have a view of the patient’s history to date and, also, keep an eye on the future,” he added.
Stern also wants interconnected electronic records tracking a patient’s complete healthcare history and journey through the system – past, present, and future:
“Person-based illness prevention is already known to be ‘investible’ and pursuing prevention by leveraging joined-up records could offer so much more.”
But Stern stresses that investment is critical:
“Take public healthcare and apply it to person-based illness prevention. Organise and synergise existing collection systems and apply the data to the person. It changes the dynamic of the patient journey from being focused on the extremes of acute illness to being about health – the whole cycle.”
“There are so many examples you can think of where this might work, from asthma to diabetes, and we need investment in this area to make it happen.”
World Nano Foundation chairman Paul Sheedy agrees strongly with Stern that investment into healthtech and nanomedicines has to be accelerated, as we cannot afford the hugely inefficient centralised healthcare systems that we have. We have to move to a point of care model that supports early intervention and protection:
“A prevention-based healthcare system would drastically reduce healthcare costs, prevent suffering for many individuals, and free up time for healthcare professionals to save more lives. The benefits are undeniable – we simply must invest.
“We need to back emerging therapies too. No healthcare system can completely prevent illness, so we need the best treatments available to us when needed. Investing in therapies will help to create more accessible, portable treatments, further decentralising healthcare worldwide.”
Paul Stannard a general partner of the Vector Innovation Fund, which recently launched a sub-fund raising an initial $300m for future healthcare, as well as pandemic protection and preparedness, focusing on precision medicine, advanced point of care, early intervention diagnostics and AI technologies that support sustainable healthcare, the global economy, and human longevity.
“Over 50% of the world’s healthcare budgets go on putting a sticky plaster on people’s health, but most of it is spent on the last six weeks of our lives, essentially end of life care, which cannot be the best model for a healthy world. We have been tracking these advanced technologies for five years and are seeing huge potential upsides for global health, which will deliver much more affordable and accessible technology solutions that deliver better outcomes and, ultimately, a more sustainable healthcare ecosystem.
“The recent pandemic has profoundly highlighted that early intervention is key to solving the biggest health challenges we face and moving to a more decentralised model based on technology investment is the key to sustainable health and improving life longevity.”
Gordon Brown warns G7 that vaccination must be fair and global to defeat COVID-19
Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown believes at least $30 billion is needed annually for an effective global vaccination plan.
And Brown wants this high on the agenda for next week's G7 Summit in Cornwall, England, an intergovernmental organization of leading economies comprising the UK, US, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and Canada.
Apart from needing to democratise jab access, Brown made it clear in April that he fears disparity will have repercussions down the line for both rich and developing countries yet vaccines are still being prioritised for the Western and European world.
Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown calls for major investment in order to ensure an ongoing effective global vaccination plan.
Our World in Data reported on June 3rd that more than 26.1m British, 136m American, 16.3m German and 11.5m French citizens are fully vaccinated, yet the Africa Centres of Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on June 2nd that only 0.51% of Africans were fully vaccinated; the continent has a population of 1.2 billion.
In a Guardian newspaper exclusive, Brown said: "Immunising the West but only a fraction of the developing world is already fuelling allegations of 'vaccine apartheid' and will leave COVID-19 spreading, mutating and threatening the lives and livelihoods of us all for years to come.
"We need to spend now to save lives, and we need to spend tomorrow to carry on vaccinating each year until the disease no longer claims lives. And this will require at least $30 billion a year, a bill no one so far seems willing to fully underwrite."
Yearly mass global vaccination support would also protect G7 nations financially in the long run, according to political risk consultancy Eurasia, which reported how G7 economies would be $500 billion better off by 2025 if such a plan took place this summer.
Despite G7 inaction, the private sector stepped up in 2020; funding from large companies, investment funds, and non-traditional investors reached record highs, while also providing healthtech companies with essential innovation support that some experts say advanced the sector ten years in just six months.
Investment monitoring platform Pitchbook reported that healthtech investment soared 47% in 2020 to a new high of $51 billion, with the sector already attracting £3.79 billion in further funding this year.
Venture Capital (VC) biotech and pharma deal activity also notched a record $28.5 billion of capital across 1,073 deals, while IPOs by VC-backed biotech companies raised $11.5 billion in capital across 73 biotech public listings, with a record total exit value of $37.3 billion.
Paul Stannard, general partner and co-founder of the Vector Innovation Fund (VIF), said:
"Governments must continually invest in global vaccine deployment and democratising jab access, but healthtech investment overall must also be maintained or further increased for the foreseeable future.
"The current investment levels are astonishing. However, to speed development of tech advances needed to eliminate COVID-19, prevent future pandemics, and realise a more accessible, decentralised global healthcare system that benefits all, investment levels must continue."
VIF recently launched a sub-fund raising an initial $300m for pandemic protection and future healthcare, focusing on precision medicine, advanced point of care, and AI technologies that support sustainable healthcare, the global economy, and human longevity.
Surging nanomedicine investments improve global healthcare and pandemic protection
COVID-19’s outbreak has coincided with investments flooding into nanomedicine healthcare companies, according to the latest data.
Nano Magazine have highlighted a report by marketdataforecast.com that the global nanomedicine market worth $141.34 billion in 2020, will rise to $258.11bn by 2025.
The report also highlights a huge upsurge of investment support from governments and funds to develop nano therapies for vaccines, diagnostic imaging, regenerative medicine, and drug delivery following the impact of COVID-19.
Furthermore, nanomedicines offer huge advantages for wider healthcare also impacted by the pandemic and Long-COVID after-effects upon cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, immunological-related diseases.
This aligns with investment monitoring platform Pitchbook’s forecast that health tech investment overall will top $10 trillion by 2022 and that nanomedicine investment has grown the sector by 250% in the last five years.
Median nanotech healthcare deal sizes have also doubled since 2019, from £1 million to £2m in 2021, while the number of deals in 2020 was greater than ever, overtaking 100 deals in a single year for the first time.
Nanomedicine is transforming healthcare innovation and delivering early intervention and targeted drug delivery and testing
Investment is already aiding innovation as nanotech researchers and scientists work to improve biomedical devices such as prosthetics, provide new cancer treatments, and develop bone healing therapies, along with more innovations that could transform global healthcare.
Nanotech researchers have found nanobodies that block the COVID-19 and, potentially, other coronaviruses from entering cells and developed mask designs at nanoscale making them both cheaper and more effective.
The fast global response to the pandemic was also enabled by nanotechnology, being pivotal in Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccine development and Innova Medical Group’s 30-minute lateral flow COVID tests.
World Nano Foundation co-founder Paul Stannard said COVID-19 highlighted weaknesses in healthcare systems across the developed world, proving that long-term, innovative solutions are needed to enable change and prevent future pandemics, with nanomedicine playing an ever greater role in this transformation of global healthcare.
And while impressed by rising investments in and recognition for the nanotech sector, he warned against any let-up in this trend:
“Nanotechnology is not only crucial to our current healthcare systems, but researchers and scientists in this field are on the cusp of therapies, devices, and innovation that will revolutionise how we move forward.”
“To ensure pandemic preparedness, high-quality healthcare, and longevity, we must invest in nano healthtech and care innovations.”
His message was echoed by Kojo Annan (son of late and former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan) who is a general partner in the Luxembourg-based Vector Innovation Fund, which recently launched a sub-fund raising an initial $300m for pandemic protection and preparedness.
Annan said: “A virtuous circle is developing between investment and healthtech.
“Lately, we have seen the development of multiple vaccines, acceleration of technologies linked to decoding the genome, the rise of nanomedicine and the use of artificial intelligence to monitor infectious diseases and new pathogens.
“More investment in sustainable healthtech funding can only accelerate this trend, bringing fairer and global distribution of healthcare, greater affordability, and preventive and early intervention healthcare, all ultimately improving the longevity of life.
“The pandemic has also transformed telemedicine investment and demonstrated that nanoscience and innovation could deliver more resilient societies and ecosystems for healthcare.”
Lessons of COVID-19 trigger radical 10-year Government plan to level up healthcare
· Health plan will target smoking, obesity, food, clean air, and child health
· Priority given to levelling up ‘postcode inequalities’ in healthcare
· Technology-led investment will drive better diagnostics, early intervention and more de-centralised health system
A year of COVID-19 has exposed decades of travelling the tragically wrong path in UK healthcare according to a Government-backed ‘Levelling Up Health’ (LUH) presentation and report today.
Specialists drawn from healthcare, academia and industry heard how the pandemic may have caused 40,000 needless UK deaths, highlighted postcode-driven inequalities in healthcare, and confirmed the UK literally as ‘the sick man of Europe’.
It will now drive a radical shake-up with Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for England, Prof Chris Whitty, as a ‘health supremo’ overseeing all issues feeding into the nation’s well-being and longevity and reporting direct to the Prime Minister and his Cabinet.
A 10-year Health Improvement Plan will target smoking, obesity, food, clean air, and child health and Prof Whitty said the NHS would also be re-shaped, within a 10-year plan for unified action across all functions including Whitehall:
“No-one owns the whole problem and therefore we aim to bring these different government departments together in terms of resources and budgets.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the LUH report had had been widely praised ahead of publication, and had prompted a re-focussing on the nation’s health and a goal to add five years to people’s longevity by 2035:
“80% of our budget goes on acute care, in other words patching people up, and we have to change this in one of the most important healthcare reforms for a generation.”
Mr Hancock highlighted two main themes to this: Prof Whitty’s new remit and how “the NHS will benefit from this through reversing the silos that exist currently.”
He said Whitehall had to change too, as things like transport and air quality both impact on health, but relevant budgets are split between different government departments – Prof Whitty’s new role was to help bring these together.
Mr Hancock said: “This is a unique opportunity and there has never been a better time to do this following the huge learning from managing COVID-19, where we have broken these silos to create real impact and change and this has never been better illustrated than through the vaccine programme.”
He added that investment in technology and a healthcare model based on prevention, early detection and early intervention is key to the Government’s 10-year plan.
Mr Hancock also highlighted the importance of the Government’s data strategy, as identifying people’s genome is massively helping with diagnostics, and enabling much better health outcomes through use of AI and other early intervention measures.
The LUH report said its ‘Ten-Year Health Improvement Plan’, along with targeted funding for areas with poor health, would complement the Government’s post-COVID ‘Building Back Better’ blueprint for economic growth, improved health resilience, and reduced health inequalities:
“A healthier nation would be a great asset and a great investment. There would be public support for launching such an ambition,” said the report, underpinning this through stark facts and comment:
· 90% of those who died with COVID had significant prior poor health.
· The most deprived places had much higher COVID deaths; 345 per 100,00 in Blackburn and Darwen - five times more than South Cambridgeshire (68 per 100,000) – and suggesting that 40,000 fewer people would have died if the whole nation’s healthcare had been ‘levelled up’.
· The UK has the unhealthiest population in Europe: a significant drag on economic growth that also increases our exposure to future pandemics.
· Health is the principal reason for 1.2 million people aged 50-64 being out of work, and people living in the most deprived places in England get significant long-term poor health conditions 19 years earlier than those in the least deprived ones, and they stop work earlier and die earlier.
· Health inequality between the North and South costs £13 billion a year in lost productivity and 30% of the productivity gap between the North and the rest of England is due to ill-health.
· Premature poor health increases demand on the NHS, for social care and welfare support; becoming healthier is fundamental to growth, resilience, and NHS sustainability.
Paul Stannard, co-founder of the not-for-profit World Nano Foundation attended the meeting and said: “I was pleased to hear Mr Hancock talk about early diagnosis and prevention being key, as many of the waiting lists are not for treatments but caused by delays in testing and diagnostics. It was also good to hear the Government’s commitment to diagnostic hubs and genomic sequencing.
“COVID-19 has been devastating but this is just the response needed to re-shape our healthcare system to be protected and prepared for the world’s next major health threat, while also transitioning to a more de-centralised, point-of-care, early intervention model benefitting from the latest healthcare technology.
“Rapid deployment of new vaccines and rapid mass testing devices show what can be achieved when the will and investment are fully behind healthcare.
“That’s why we have partnered with the Vector Innovation Fund to launch an initial $300 million international healthtech sub-fund for pandemic protection and preparedness that will have a wider impact on future healthcare provision.
“Investment in nanotechnology diagnostics, therapies, novel treatments, genome sequencing, and precision medicines is already helping the cause with record amounts of funding enabling healthtech advances in less than a year, which would have taken 10 years previously, along with delivering wearable health sensors, telemedicine, highly-targeted drugs and treatments, as well as breakthroughs in testing.”
‘COVID decade’ creates $10 trillion impact upon healthcare innovation investment
Healthcare technology investment in 2020 soared 47% to a new high of $51 billion and figures show it will rocket to even greater heights.
Overall healthcare investment is tipped to pass $10 trillion by 2022 on a 10-year upward trajectory, already being called the ‘COVID decade’ for investment into disruptive innovation supporting pandemic protection and preparedness.
The spin-off from this research is also creating opportunities to democratise and decentralise healthcare through early detection diagnostics and early intervention therapies, and precision medicine, all set to transform global health and human longevity.
A further sign of where new investment is going came with the recent launch of a $300 million Pandemic Protection Sub-fund by the Luxembourg-based Vector Innovation Fund (VIF) focusing on this ‘new age’ healthtech, and preparation for the next global healthcare challenge.
The new fund forms part of $17 billion (source: Pitchbook) in venture funding for healthcare innovation in recent years related to infectious diseases.
Scottish Health Innovations reports how accelerating investment has advanced the healthcare sector 10 years in just six months, through new data-driven technologies and digitisation, while vaccines have developed at unprecedented speed; the research and rollout for the Pfizer and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines were the fastest in history.
Testing has improved too; lateral flow tests (LFTs) from the world’s largest manufacturer, Innova Medical, are now 99.9% accurate yet take just 30 minutes to show results and help identify new variants and isolate asymptomatic carriers.
Using cutting edge nanotechnology these LFTs have been adopted by a world class UK testing and vaccine regime, now including a new national health agency UKHSA to protect against future health threats.
But far more is needed to avoid repetition of COVID-19’s devastation: 2.74m deaths to date, $5.6 trillion in global GDP lost, plus severe financial, health, and social impacts - mental health problems, unemployment, and poverty have all soared, while many people with life-threatening diseases have gone undiagnosed.
And the world is still alarmingly unprepared for another pandemic. COVID-19 was transmitted from animals, and scientists now know that two new ‘zoonotic’ viruses have done this every year for the last century, yet the Royal Society of Chemistry claims only 10 of 220 viruses known to infect humans have antiviral drugs available to combat them.
Against such odds, says the Executive Chair of Scottish Health Innovations, Graham Watson, healthcare innovation, rapid development, and early adoption must become routine in what he calls an “optimal investment ecosystem”.
This had been lacking according to leading medical journal, The Lancet, which reported that a pre-COVID assessment exposed a need for faster medical manufacturing and distribution during a possible pandemic, and commented: "A true, end-to-end R&D ecosystem must deliver needed products to people as rapidly as possible, and at scale in a globally fair and equitable fashion.”
Paul Sheedy, co-founder of the not-for-profit World Nano Foundation, argued strongly against any easing of investment into nanomedicines, and nano diagnostics towards better healthcare and pandemic protection:
"Nanomedicine investment alone grew 250% in the last five years, according to Pitchbook, while equity funding to digital health companies hit an all-time high last year, reaching $26.5 billion, but it has to be maintained if we are to avoid the human and economic devastation of another COVID.”
Soaring healthtech investment is more than just a shot in the arm
Healthcare technology investment soared 47% last year, to a new high of $51bn in 2020.
Venture capital (VC) fundraising was particularly strong across the sector with $17bn available in new venture funds focused on healthcare.
Nanomedicine investment alone grew by x2.5 in the last five years, according to Pitchbook. The investment monitoring platform also reported that 2020's global funding for digital health and telemedicine rose 45% over the previous year, while equity funding to digital health companies hit an all-time high last year, reaching $26.5 billion.
Rather than a COVID-19 driven 'shot in the arm', such growth supports a long-term healthcare industry projection that it will be worth over $10 trillion by 2022.
Since Jan 2021 £3.79bn has been invested into tech companies delivering disruptive innovations specifically related to pandemic protection and preparedness, but also having wider applications and impact for global health – a trend set to continue for the next 10 years, now being called the 'COVID decade'.
And whilst the world needs this major boost to avoid being caught out by future pandemics, it is also creating new opportunities to democratise and decentralise healthcare through early detection diagnostics, precision medicine and early intervention therapies that will transform global health.
This will create a more sustainable point of care-based healthcare ecosystem that is more affordable and available to everyone, say, health experts.
The message is already being picked up. A recent report by tech market analysis specialists CB Insights stated that healthcare start-ups attracted a record $80.6 billion in equity funding in 2020, and general investment in the sector grew in the three consecutive quarters after the outbreak, helping to drive intense innovation.
Some experts suggest the sector has advanced 10 years in just six months, with new data-driven technologies and digitisation practices being used more, while vaccines have developed at unprecedented speed; the research and rollout for the Pfizer and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines were the fastest in history.
Testing has improved, too; the largest manufacturer of lateral flow tests, Innova medical group, has produced LFTs that is at least 99.99% specific while taking just 30 minutes to show results. These simple tests use colloidal gold nanoparticles and are now being manufactured and supplied to countries around the world, particularly by the UK, which has built a world-class testing and vaccine programme.
Harvard professor Dr. Michael Mina has been a major advocate of frequent mass testing using LFTs in the community and workplace to stop the spread of virus transmission and said:
"An over-the-counter rapid test is a tremendous advance. It means that some people will have ready access to a much-needed test to help know their status, without having to go through a physician."
A world-first new national health agency is also launching in the UK in April 2021, focusing on prevention of and response to external health threats such as infectious diseases.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will protect against future health threats and take over the COVID-19 pandemic response from Public Health England (PHE) and NHS Test and Trace. This includes harnessing the data analytics and genomic surveillance capabilities of both organisations, along with scale testing and contract tracing capability.
But far more is needed to avoid repetition of COVID-19's devastation, which has caused 2.74m deaths to date, plus severe financial, health, and social impacts.
An estimated $5.6 trillion in global GDP has been lost, and the World Bank states the global recession is the deepest since WW2 and twice the depth of the 2008 financial crash; and mental health problems, unemployment, and poverty have all increased, while many people with underlying, life-threatening diseases have gone undiagnosed.
And the world is still alarmingly unprepared for another outbreak. It's been reported that two new viruses have spilled over to human hosts every year for the last century, while the Royal Society of Chemistry claims only 10 of 220 viruses known to infect humans have clinically approved antiviral drugs available to combat them.
We now know that the current Coronavirus was transmitted into humans through bats and other animals, according to the latest World Health Organisation report. This will continue to happen, so investment into technologies that analyse these trends is essential.
Avoidance of future pandemics also needs fast support for innovation, according to Executive Chair of Scottish Health Innovations Ltd, Graham Watson, who forecasts a future where healthcare innovation, rapid development, and early adoption become routine:
"If modern healthcare innovation is to continue to grow at pace post-pandemic, then having an 'optimal investment ecosystem' is vital to encouraging its advancement."
Despite rising investment and innovation, processes must also evolve to keep pace with healthcare. Leading medical journal The Lancet showed how a 2020 assessment from the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board found gaps in the pre-COVID R&D preparedness ecosystem.
The report exposed a need for capabilities to ensure rapid manufacturing and distribution during a pandemic. Waiting time also needed to be cut so that innovators and scientists could develop new products quickly, an approach proving highly attractive to investment funds.
The Lancet stated: "A true, end-to-end R&D ecosystem must deliver needed products to people as rapidly as possible, and at scale in a globally fair and equitable fashion."
Healthcare investments may not be the only way to get ahead of the next outbreak. Ending deforestation and the wildlife trade would protect us from animal diseases transferring to humans. Investing to prevent these acts could stop outbreaks in the first place.
Paul Sheedy, co-founder of the not-for-profit World Nano Foundation, advocates continued investment into nanotechnology towards better healthcare and pandemic protection:
"Healthcare innovation is more exciting than ever, with new technologies and techniques being developed and improving constantly. Increased investment into healthcare during COVID-19 has been outstanding but must be maintained.
"2.74m people to date have lost their lives during this pandemic, global economies have entered recession, unemployment and poverty have risen substantially, suicides and mental health cases are increasing, and there are fears many people have gone undiagnosed with life-threatening diseases because of COVID protocol.
"Continued, efficient investment where innovators can access critical capital at a faster rate is crucial to developing healthcare innovations that can prevent and combat future pandemics."
A new healthtech fund was launched in March by the Vector Innovation Fund, raising an initial $300m for its sub-fund for pandemic protection and future healthcare, focusing on precision medicine, advanced point of care, and AI technologies that support sustainable healthcare, the global economy and human longevity.
UK GOVERNMENT AND SCIENTIFIC EXPERTS GET BEHIND COMMUNITY RAPID MASS TESTING
Following on from UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s quoted £7bn mass testing “Moonshot” programme where the government are deploying over £1.2bn’s worth of rapid lateral flow antigen tests to identify asymptomatic cases in communities and workplaces.
In what many believe was a game changer in preventing lockdowns across the world, in the UK, community and workplace lateral flow rapid test kits (LFTs) have been mobilised now for door-to-door delivery – the UK government has secured more than 400 million of these kits – for its “Test to Suppress” strategy as well as to address fears that the South African variant had broken out in areas of the country.
The World Nano Foundation and scientific leaders say regular use of inexpensive mass lateral flow rapid antigen test kits is the way to beat COVID-19, its variants, and future viruses. Governments and politicians are now reducing the spread of the virus and ensuring a quicker return to normality for their electorate and themselves by adopting a mass testing approach to pinpoint hotspots, thus targeting areas, and preventing wide scale restrictions.
As vaccination quickens for vulnerable members of society, the next prize is to get the world’s economies moving, with mass frequent testing as the key, using the mantra ‘test to suppress’, and as an early warning system to protect against new strains and future outbreaks. By using mass rapid testing, it can be identified where there are infectious cases and ensure that the virus is not passed on, breaking chains of transmission and allowing non-infected communities to continue without disruption.
These simple-to-manufacture rapid tests have shown a thousand-fold increase in the effectiveness and accuracy of testing with this technology. The kits can produce a positive result even when there are fewer antigens to the virus in the sample – vital for finding asymptomatic individuals and ‘super-spreaders’.
Many other countries and industries are now adopting this technology.
This week, The Biden administration announced the investment of $230 million in at-home coronavirus testing kits, to identify cases of the virus across the country to break chains of transmission and prevent new strains from disrupting communities and workplaces.
Innova Medical – the world's largest manufacturer of rapid lateral flow antigen tests is ramping up to 50 million a day by the spring – has also confirmed that its COVID-19 product is effective in detecting variant strains such as the British (Kent), South African, and Brazilian variants, which appear more contagious than the earlier strains.
"As these dangerous strains show signs of increased transmissibility across communities, the global effort to eliminate COVID-19 requires frequent, comprehensive and equitable testing that can detect these emerging strains," said Daniel Elliott, President and CEO of Innova Medical Group.
Elliot added that numerous studies have shown that rapid antigen tests are an important tool for identifying infectious people quickly and equitably, even when they may not have COVID-19 symptoms, in ways not possible with slower, more expensive, centralised lab-based tests.
He said the virus continues to morph its genetic ribonucleic acid (RNA) to generate new and potentially more contagious variants, but Innova's antigen test is effective because it looks for multiple proteins in the virus.
Workplace and community rapid mass testing is already starting to take place to keep economies moving and the entertainment and sports industries are said to be looking at a ‘day pass’ testing approach using LFT kits, in the same way that temperature checks were made on people using restaurants and pubs between lockdowns.
A trial is already under way in France using a music theatre to give day pass security so that people can start attending mass events again.
World Health Organisation Special Envoy on COVID-19, David Nabarro, had already suggested this approach:
"We’ve seen it (rapid mass testing) used in many different locations, for example in trying to keep aircraft free of people who’ve got COVID or looking after major events.”
A UK Government initiative offering LFTs in workplaces - healthcare, education, and local authorities, with private companies such as Royal Mail, the DVLA and Tate & Lyle Sugars also adopting frequent rapid testing.
Globally renowned British doctors’ journal, The Lancet, backed this approach after publishing an exhaustive study of quarantine and testing measures, and leading UK scientists and clinical experts have added their weight.
Oxford University researchers found the UK Government's most sensitive LFTs detected 83-90% of all infectious cases of COVID-19 and, with the UK investing more than £1.5bn in these test kits so far.
Oxford’s Regius Professor of Medicine, Sir John Bell underlined the benefit of these tests removing infectious people from high-risk environments: “They’ve found 25,000 cases just in healthcare, which may have prevented tens of thousands of cases of the disease.”
Tim Peto, Professor of Medicine, Infectious Disease, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Oxford University addressed the contrasts between PCR (polymerase chain reaction) swab testing and lateral flow kits:
“PCR is very good at telling you’ve had the virus or got the virus, but it doesn’t tell you whether you are infectious or not and the other problem about the swab test is that it takes a day or two…to get the answer back. The LFT has the enormous advantage of giving you an answer in about 30 minutes.”
He said this allows immediate self-isolation and individuals can also quickly advise their contacts so, “within a few hours, a local outbreak can be detected. This can’t be done with the swab (PCR) tests” adding that LFTs “detect people with high viral loads…the very people who are infectious.”
The World Nano Foundation (WNF) promotes healthcare technology and predicts that mass testing is central to future pandemic protection.
The not-for-profit organisation’s Co-founder Paul Sheedy said: “Our research shows how healthcare diagnostics technology will shift dramatically to a more decentralised community early intervention model, against potential epidemics and pandemics.
“The Test2Suppress™ campaign shows that intensive front-line initiatives using rapid test kits available to the individual will allow early detection and immediate isolation, reducing the need for lockdowns.
“And our simulation maps how consecutive daily tests for three days can rapidly identify and isolate infectious people. Weekly testing can then sustain a low infection rate even in a large population.
“A key point previously missed by some experts is that high quality rapid lateral flow tests are not for people who already think they have COVID-19; it’s about everyone else testing frequently to check they are not infectious.
“Used alongside vaccines and other preventative methods, these simple tests have been developed from colloidal gold nanoparticle research and are a vital component in the battle to defeat the virus and it’s future variants.
“Rapid community testing is simpler, faster, cheaper, more effective and mobilises everyone to help themselves, their relatives, friends, and colleagues, to keep everyone safe.
“With the work that we do, we know that there are even more exciting technologies on the way that will be central to the world’s fight for pandemic protection and future healthcare.
“We have already seen the danger from not being on our guard against renewed viral threats. Spanish Flu struck in 1918, killing up to 50 million people in four waves, the last two being most deadly because public health warnings were not adhered to.”
This means that there will be a revolution in healthcare in the coming years. Healthcare investment is forecast to grow at a rate of nearly 50% a year towards a market set to be worth $1.333 trillion by 2027*. The acceleration highlights wide recognition that the world cannot afford the human and economic cost of another pandemic.
One international investment platform is a Pandemic Protection alternative investment fund operated by Vector Innovation Fund in Luxembourg focused on limiting the effect of long form Covid-19, insulating the world against the impact of future pandemics, whilst minimising any impact on the global economy and healthcare provision and preparedness.
The Vector Innovation Fund is a Reserved Alternative Investment Fund (RAIF) specialising in support for technology companies able to transform global markets, notably in global healthcare, sustainability and longevity. These transformational technologies come from the nanotechnology, biotech, AI and machine learning, medical devices, therapies and digital health sectors.