A panel discussion “Breakthrough Technologies in Health Care: Smartphone as a Medical Device, Pharmaceutical Company in Your Own Garage and Research Based on the Analysis of Open-Access Data” took place in the frameworks of the first international conference of startup companies and investors at Startup Village
The session dedicated to breakthrough technologies in medicine was opened by Helena Lifshitz, head of medical projects of the Skolkovo Foundation “Biomedical Technologies” cluster. She marked that today there are big opportunities emerging for startups discovering brand-new technologies in pharmaceuticals and biomedicine.
During the discussion, speakers talked about a number of innovative developments in the sphere of health care, especially focusing on a comparatively young and promising sector of MHealth (mobile health care) as well as application of internet technologies in pharmaceuticals and biotech.
Partner in health care at the “McKinsey” German office, Thomas Rudolf, gave a speech ,“Analysis of Market Trends”, on how new technologies change the lives of patients. According to him, only fifty years ago an oncologic disease was equal to a death sentence. Today, having heard the diagnosis, the patient asks what kind of oncologic disease he has and depending on the answer assesses his chances for victory over the disease.
The discussion was continued by Stanford professor Alan Boott who revealed how to create a new medicine with the help of internet, one’s brain and several thousand dollars. The matter of discussion was brand new technological developments which allowed already a million people to conduct independent analysis of their genetic code.
Alan Green, representative of Scanadu company spoke about a brand new device Indiegogo which allows to collect, analyze and transfer information on temperature, pressure, electric cardiogram, blood oxygenation and other parameters to a smartphone, making health control as easy as checking email.
The session was also attended by Alina Rud, who narrated about novelties of Mhealth, and Yevgeniy Birger who highlighted problems faced by people with pancreatic diabetes.
On the whole, discussion participants came to the consensus that application of high technologies in medicine becomes promising not only for patients but for investors as well. In 2013 104 deals were completed with companies working in the sphere of MHealth, which doubles the index of the last year.
Skolkovo Foundation
Skolkovo Foundation, Center for Development and Commercialization of New Technologies, is a non-commercial organization created by the initiative of the head of state in September 2010. The aim of the Foundation is the mobilization of Russia’s resources in the sphere of modern applied sciences, creation of favourable environment for completion of scientific developments in five priority directions of technological development: power engineering and energy efficiency, space, biomedicine, nuclear and computer technologies. The project envisages establishment of Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech), research institutes, a business incubator, center for technology transfer and commercialization, as well as future transfer of the ecosystem to other innovative regions of Russia. Activities of the innovation center Skolkovo are regulated by a special law which provides its residents with favorable economical conditions.
Roman ShcherbakovSkolkovo Foundation Press Office HeadTel.: +7 (495) 967 01 48, доб./ext. 2260Fax: +7 (495) 967 01 96E-mail: rs@sk.ruwww.sk.ru