The aim of Precision Medicine is to personalize the prevention and treatment of diseases. Artificial intelligence (AI) can help to manage the large volumes of data required for this. The 4th Life Science Zurich Impact Conference focused on the opportunities and challenges these developments present.

It was emphasized that precision medicine and AI can help make healthcare not only more individual, but also more effective, with fewer side effects and more efficient. The potential is huge, emphasized Moritz Hartmann,
Head of Roche Information Solutions: »97 percent of the data generated in hospitals are not used yet.” 

The need for innovation is great, emphasized Dr. Christian Rommel, Head of Research and Development at Bayer Pharmaceuticals. Hundreds of proteins that cause diseases are known today: »But there are only drug treatments for around ten percent of them.”

Carolin Lerchenmüller, Professor of Gender Medicine at the University of Zurich, pointed out that biological sex and socio-cultural gender are an important building blocks on the path to precision medicine. All too often, sex and gender specific treatment guidelines are lacking. AI could help to improve this situation.

In the parallel sessions of the event, start-ups were presented that are breaking new ground - for example by using menstrual blood (MenstruAI project) or sweat (Age Resist) to improve diagnostics. 

What investors want

But how does a young company attract investors? Jacqueline Ruedin Rüsch, founder of the venture capital company Privilège Ventures, sees time and again that company founders do not do their homework: they are not clear enough about their project and the market and do not give enough thought to which investors would be a good fit for their business.

At the panel discussion, the need for appropriate financial incentives and resources to drive digitalisation in medicine forward was emphasised. It is also important to base the further development of medicine on the needs of patients. 

German text: Adrian Ritter