Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have developed a prototype of an app that can potentially prescribe the optimal dose of medicine for an individual patient, as well as prevent counterfeit products.
Using a prototype app for smartphones, researchers at the University of Copenhagen have taken the next step in the dosing, production, and distribution of future pharmaceutical products. And the time for innovation is more than mature, says Professor Jukka Rentenen of the Department of Pharmacy:
"200 years ago, the first patent on tablet-making was filed and the products have not changed much. We still have similar tablets. What we are doing now is suggesting an entirely new type of product," They say.
"By rethinking product design principles, related manufacturing solutions and delivery models for pharmaceutical products, it is possible to dramatically reduce the overall value of the drug while improving drug safety and efficacy."
App-othecary
The basic premise of Jukka Rantanen and his research group's stakes for future solutions to pharmaceutical products is the new concept of cryptopharmaceuticals, symbolizing the mentioned prototype of an app for smartphones.
The application is called 'MedBlockchin' and has been developed by the group's former MSc-student Lasse Norfelt. It is based on, among other things, earlier work of the research group on the digitization of pharmaceutical products, for example in the form of printing QR codes as drugs.
With the app, patients will be able to scan a drug and confirm that it is an actual product and not a counterfeit item. A problem that, according to Zucca Renten, is particularly severe in countries with less structured drug regulatory agencies.
At the same time, patients can choose to provide access to a range of personal data - from heart rate monitor clocks, pedometers and Internet-connected bath scales to everything from genetic profiles, screen time and social media usage - with knowledge. Can contribute which can enable computer systems based on artificial intelligence gradually reduce the optimal dose for each patient.
"This type of data already exists in our information-rich society. It would be logical to employ this big data for something useful. Not only to share on Facebook, your exercise app or something similar, but your optimum Also to define the dose. " Drug given, ”says Jukka Rentenen.
Builds on the blockchain
With the increasing mass of personal data, data security is also becoming important, explains Zucca Renten.
To guarantee data security, the app uses so-called blockchain technology, which is probably the best known in relation to cryptocurrency bitcoins.
With blockchain, information - or data blocks - are connected in a chain that cannot change all the other links of information in the chain without changing them simultaneously. Thus, all changes will be detected and can be detected. If something looks suspicious, the system can also generate an alarm.
As an example, a patient who scans a QR code on their medication may be alerted to an alarm if the code does not match what the pharmaceutical company has entered into the system, or if the drug is accompanied by a prescription Does not match. Conversely, the pharmaceutical company can be alerted if an otherwise unique drug code is registered more than once.
Likewise, the absence of registration can become a basis for alarm because it may reveal that the patient is not taking his medication as planned. For example, this information can be shared with the patient's doctor or relatives.
Cryptopharmaceuticals
The concept of blockchain may still seem far-fetched to most people, but in fact, technology is already being used in the same way for everything from insurance and finance to shipping and food, explains Zucca Renten .
As an example, Chinese consumers have already become accustomed to scanning items in supermarkets to confirm that the products they are buying, for example, bacon actually produced in Denmark, and counterfeit products Is not.
'All this is technically possible. Now, the big question is how should we handle this data and who should it reach. This is the discussion that we expect to begin with this new concept of cryptopharmaceuticals, 'says Zucca Renten.
He values Denmark as a clear candidate as a leading country for technology. Among other things based on the country's current tradition of storing health data of citizens and the major pharmaceutical industry.
Among these I think that there is a huge potential for Denmark to be among the first movers on this type of product. It is not limited to only one clinical condition. Can be one c