Speed to Patient
I like to think I’m a “Car Guy”.
What exactly is a “Car Guy”?
Broadly, I think the definition is of someone who likes cars, is interested in all types of cars, follows car news and trends, has a good knowledge of automobile history, and, if lucky enough, has something tucked away in their garage that they really take pride in. The “Car Guy” is also the person in the family that gets asked what car should be purchased next.
I think I fit that definition. I’ve loved cars my whole life. About three years ago a 1984 Corvette was for sale near my house. It called my name. It’s now in my garage. It’s not perfect, but I’m working on it.
The auto industry is in the midst of a massive upheaval. Most vehicles nowadays are going hybrid; part electric/part gas for their engine, and many are pure electric vehicles. For over 100 years, the auto industry has relied on the internal combustion engine and gasoline. The pressures of environmental concerns, gas prices, efficiency, regulations, and just competition is forcing this change. I don’t think gas-powered cars will vanish, but I do think cars solely powered by gas will be harder and harder to find.
Electric cars are nothing new, at the dawn of the auto age they competed with gas and steam powered cars for dominance – but we know who won that war.
Think what you want about Elon Musk and Tesla – but his company probably kick-started the electric car movement. He showed how electric cars can be luxurious, beautiful, and most importantly – fast.
The pharmaceutical industry has always been interested in speed. Everyone hears about “speed to market”. Unfortunately, fast for the pharmaceutical industry has typically meant a 10 year wait from discovery to commercial production.
The pandemic has shown that vaccines that can be brought to market quickly, especially if the underlying technology is readily available.
Looking ahead, cell and gene therapies are poised to become the next “big thing”. The only drawback is the need to get these new therapies, especially for autologous treatments, from the patient to the processing facility, and back to the patient as fast as possible.
Logistics need to be worked out and locked down as 100% reliable.
Is there a future where electric, autonomous driving vehicles will be delivering autologous cell and gene therapies across the globe?
I’m going to answer that with a tentative “yes’’.
Mike Auerbach
Editor-In-Chief
[email protected]
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