What You Should Know:
– 40 percent of
the global disease burden could be addressed with known interventions, but that
leaves 60 percent unaddressed.
– As part of the recent McKinsey report Prioritizing
health: A prescription for prosperity, the McKinsey Global Institute identified
ten promising innovations that can reduce total disease burden 6-10% by 2040.
– By identifying and estimating the potential scope of
innovations in the pipeline, we find that these technologies could reduce the
disease burden by a further 6 to 10 percent, assuming aspirational yet
realistic adoption rates by 2040.
According to a recent McKinsey
report, 40 percent of the global disease burden could be addressed with known
interventions, but that leaves 60 percent unaddressed. Innovation is necessary
to tackle the remaining 60 percent of the disease burden.
Innovation can help improve the health of the world’s
population by broadening access to known interventions, improving the
cost-effectiveness of today’s treatments, finding new ways to prevent diseases,
slowing the aging process, and improving the delivery of healthcare. As part of
the recent McKinsey report Prioritizing
Health: A Prescription for Prosperity, the McKinsey Global Institute systematically
surveyed current pipelines in clinical research and development to identify ten
promising innovations that can reduce total disease burden 6-10% by 2040. These
categories include: omics and molecular technology, next-generation
pharmaceuticals, cellular therapy and regenerative medicine, innovative
vaccines, advanced surgical procedures, connected and cognitive devices,
electroceuticals, robotics and prosthetics, digital therapeutics, and
tech-enabled care delivery.
Here is a look at the ten most promising innovations and
their impact on the disease burden:
Background/Methodology
To identify the most promising technologies to further
reduce disease burden by 2040, the McKinsey Global Institute focused on
technologies with potential to impact diseases with the greatest remaining
unmet need and assessed current biological understanding of the disease and the
effort and excitement surrounding each, measured by research funding. To
estimate the potential impact of innovations, they focused on initiatives that
are already in early stages of development or being piloted at a small scale.
Efforts in this visible pipeline are more likely to be approved and adopted
broadly enough to make a material impact on health over 20 years.
