Breaking Down Brain Barriers

The mental health epidemic is silent and vast. Brain health diseases are estimated to be responsible for over 13 million deaths, and approximately 281 million years lived with disability annually by 2030 across the world. However, because of the invisible nature of these conditions, little is being done to tackle this. I believe that the pharmaceutical industry, among others, needs to focus efforts on two key areas.

• Raising awareness and reducing stigma. Nearly half of people with epilepsy have experienced some form of stigma or discrimination, largely because of a lack of public knowledge about the disease. This stigma contributes significantly to patients’ burden and can discourage them from seeking treatment. 
• Improving early recognition of brain health conditions for faster and meaningful interventions. As with any condition, timely and effective treatments can improve the likelihood of response, reduce symptom severity, risk of relapse, and alleviate the emotional and financial burden on patients, their families, and caregivers.

Pharma is in a key position to do more in both areas by working with healthcare professionals, policy makers, and regulators to ensure that brain health is valued, promoted, and protected for all. Essentially, collaboration is essential. 

For example, public-private partnerships can enhance funding opportunities, facilitate data sharing, and support new research, leading to the development of more effective treatments and prevention strategies. Governments can provide regulatory frameworks and funding incentives, while private companies contribute expertise, technology, and investment in R&D. 

By focusing on the genetic and molecular foundations of neurological disorders and mental health conditions, researchers can develop targeted therapies that are both more effective and have fewer side effects. I’d like to see the pharmaceutical industry explore the use of AI more as part of any mutually effective partnerships to tackle some of health’s biggest challenges. Multistakeholder approaches, via the benefit of shared perspectives, expertise, and AI, will foster more effective and comprehensive advancements in brain health.

AI: A new kind of stakeholder
 

AI is being leveraged by drug developers to enhance the precision of drug targeting and streamline the drug development process. However, the effectiveness of AI largely depends on the quality and accessibility of the data it processes. By recognizing the potential of a unified health data space, strong advocates can enhance secure data sharing and interoperability across Europe, namely through the implementation of the European Health Data Space.

While the potential of AI in developing treatments for neurological disorders holds significant promise, it is also fraught with various challenges and pitfalls. These can be broadly categorized into technical, ethical, regulatory, and practical concerns. A focus on ensuring that all AI technologies and solutions meet strict quality criteria, and are implemented safely and ethically within our research and development processes, is key. 

Such commitment involves establishing clear guidelines that safeguard patient data, maintain transparency in AI-driven decisions, uphold the highest standards of accountability to prevent biases and errors, and harmonize AI-led clinical trials. Reducing complexity in clinical trial design – especially for studies that combine medicines, medical devices, and AI technologies – will make it easier for companies to innovate and expedite the approval of new treatments. Simplified and harmonized guidelines across different global agencies, including the EMA and FDA, will support this process.

As we look forward in the fields of mental health and neurological diseases, I'm encouraged by the improvements we are seeing. Personalized medicine is transforming treatment and tailoring therapies. Digital health technologies are also reshaping patient care through the use of apps and wearable technology, enabling real-time monitoring and more accurate disease management. AI helps us analyze complex data more effectively, refining our treatment strategies. This progress strengthens my confidence in our ability to break the silence, reduce the proliferation of brain and mental health disorders – and stop the stigma – and develop healthcare systems and pharmaceutical products that are responsive and truly supportive of those in need.