Trials, Data, Diversity – H1’s Top 5 Diagnoses (Predictions) for Biotech and Pharma in 2024

How will AI impact clinical trials? Will FDA legislation improve diversity? What platforms will key opinion leaders adopt? 

Every year, we take a look at annual predictions to help life sciences, pharmaceutical, and healthcare companies understand larger industry trends and dynamics to prepare for the new year.

These forecasts, curated by our own experts and thought leaders, shed light on the changes set to reshape the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.

From regulatory shifts to technological advancements, H1 anticipates a year of unprecedented transformation and progress as the healthcare landscape continues to evolve.

Here’s a look at our top predictions for 2024:

1. The FDA will enact laws that will supercharge diversity in clinical trials.

“In 2024, the FDA will finally pass legislation requiring Phase 3 clinical studies to meet specific diversity markers, aiming to ensure greater representation of diverse patient populations in clinical trials.” – Ariel Katz, CEO & Co-Founder

2. The healthcare industry will let go of the fear that AI will take over jobs.

“The industry will experience a reckoning that AI is here to supercharge healthcare professionals and augment their work, not replace them. Pharmaceutical companies are on the brink of a tech revolution, and will embrace AI as a means to enhance their operations and research capabilities. In the near term, AI will be all about saving time, simplifying work processes, and knocking down language and jargon barriers in healthcare and clinical research. Imagine a healthcare world where medical research is crystal clear and open to all, making science feel like a breeze. This is the power of AI.” – Ariel Katz, CEO & Co-Founder

3. Digital Opinion Leaders will move away from digital platforms (you read that right).

“Digital Opinion Leaders, and the channels they use, are evolving. Traditional platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter are losing trustworthiness among medical professionals due to misinformation, bias, and skepticism. DOLs will seek new channels, ones that are safer and more credible, to share their scientific expertise and insights and break through the noise. DOLs will also increasingly turn back to in-person interactions, conferences, public speaking, and other direct means to voice their opinions and establish a more credible presence, moving away from digital platforms.” – Alexandra Moens, Senior Director of Product Marketing

4. Technology will bolster patient trust, elevating the patient experience to new heights.

“FinTech will merge with HealthTech to provide more robust patient experiences and aid in treatment plans. This combination will help ensure that healthcare services are accessible and tailored to individual patient needs. We’re also seeing technology enable more patient visibility into the personal data that is being shared with their healthcare providers, boosting patient confidence. Solutions will also emerge that will make it easier to navigate available clinical trials—something like a ‘Zillow.com for trials’ that puts the patient experience at the center. Finally, we’ll see initiatives that will allow patients to monetize their personal health data and collaborate with health systems. All of these endeavors will help bridge the trust divide between patients and healthcare organizations.” – Ryan Brown, Regional VP, Trial Landscape

5. Medical Affairs teams will view AI as a strategic asset, not just another tool in the toolkit.

“We’ll see a number of things happen in response to the White House’s recent executive order, which claims it will prioritize improving ‘healthcare-data quality to support the responsible development of AI tools for clinical care, real-world-evidence programs, population health, public health, and related research.’ Medical Affairs will look at AI as a strategic investment, not just another tool and will assess it in a similar manner to evaluating a new hire. Additionally, it will be critical to evaluate the security of the AI system and its compatibility with the organization’s culture.” – Rob Consalvo, Senior Director of Strategic Commercial Engagement

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