Precision Medicine - The Triple Helix Approach

The global Precision Medicine (PM) market is projected to reach $134bn by 2025. The recent BEIS PM Science & Innovation Audit (SIA) evidenced a game-changing opportunity for Glasgow to capitalise on this rapidly growing market by harnessing existing strengths and leadership in PM to drive economic growth in one of Glasgow's and the UK's most deprived areas (Greater Govan).

The overarching aim of the "Living Laboratory" (LivingLab) is to create an internationally significant PM campus integrated with the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) - the UK's largest hospital. The campus will be a focal-point for R&D, open innovation, commercialisation and adoption - bringing industry, academics, clinicians/NHS managers, patients and charities together to build on existing achievements and unlock substantial productivity growth opportunities associated with PM. By delivering a highly supportive environment, the LivingLab will address the biggest challenge in PM - translating innovation into clinical practice.

The pharmacogenomics use case is designed to look at a population who are 65 years of age or more and take multiple medications. Preliminary analysis of 165,000 individuals showed that the average number of medications per patient was 8, the most prevalent condition was high blood pressure, and diabetes was the most-costly. Approximately 22% of this cohort are at risk of medication failure or a significant adverse reaction, and 71% are taking at least one drug with known genetic implications. Our preliminary health economic analysis showed cost savings of more than £85 million over a three-year period, encouraging us to move forward with a real-life implementation of pharmacogenomic testing.

LivingLab has been developed by an impressive consortium of public and private sector partners in the local geography, with advice from international PM leaders. All are fully committed to developing a global centre of excellence for the implementation of PM.