Obesity, Diabetes Century’s Biggest Health Threats
He, however, cautioned that declining public trust in science and inconsistent funding could threaten preparedness.
Hyderabad:Leaders from pharma, biotech, investment, and global health agreed that the next growth phase in life sciences will be driven not by standalone molecules, but by integrated platforms combining discovery, development, manufacturing, analytics, digital tools, and capital. However, declining public trust in science and inconsistent funding threaten preparedness.
Speaking at a panel discussion on ‘From headwinds to health wins — where growth will come from (2026–2030) at the BioAsia event, Dr Peter Piot, special adviser to EU on health security and EU chief scientific adviser on epidemics, said Covid demonstrated that rapid research and development, flexible manufacturing, and accelerated regulatory approvals are possible without compromising quality.
He, however, cautioned that declining public trust in science and inconsistent funding could threaten preparedness. He identified obesity and diabetes as the century’s biggest health threats, calling it a “tsunami,” and stressed prevention alongside innovation.
Vikrant Shrotriya, managing director of Novo Nordisk India, highlighted India’s explosive rise in chronic metabolic diseases, affecting millions and costing up to 2.5 per cent of GDP. GLP-1 therapies represent only the starting point of a broader metabolic innovation wave, shifting focus from lifespan to “healthspan.”
Panelists identified biosimilars as a near-term $100–120 billion opportunity as biologics go off patent by 2030. Evolving US regulations favor analytics-driven approvals over switching studies, creating an opportunity for India if it strengthens analytical depth, manufacturing scale, and regulatory credibility.
Amit Mookim, CEO, Immuneel Therapeutics, said India has delivered CAR-T therapy at under 10 per cent of global costs, challenging assumptions about scalability and affordability. However, building platform IP and ecosystem infrastructure remains critical.
Investors pointed to regulatory delays as India’s biggest headwind, limiting risk capital inflows compared to China. Faster approvals, stronger academia-industry collaboration, and coordinated ecosystem scaling are essential.
