D-Konstanz | Around 150 experts from 11 countries came together at the invitation of the BioLAGO healthcare network for the sixth edition of the “Diagnostics-4-Future Conference” in Constance. Experts from medicine, industry and research discussed current trends and issues as well as brand new products in diagnostics. Among other things, the focus was on self-testing at home, artificial intelligence for disease detection and regulatory challenges for manufacturers. The conference was rounded off by a trade fair with exhibitors from Europe and Asia.
Diagnostic disciplines such as laboratory medicine and pathology are drivers of innovation in patient care and support the majority of decisions made by clinicians. Regulatory hurdles, rising costs and declining remuneration pose challenges to this. How can existing and future diagnostic procedures remain affordable for patients and the healthcare system? This question and other topics from the diagnostics industry were addressed at this year's “Diagnostics-4-Future Conference” in Constance. Over two days, diagnostics and healthcare professionals as well as laboratory physicians presented the diagnostic challenges in the laboratory and clinical routine and discussed these with industry and research in order to facilitate the development of new methods.
Better and faster diagnostics: cost pressure and regulations inhibit innovation
One topic that continues to be of particular concern to the industry is the growing cost pressure, which is partly due to new legal requirements. In a lively panel discussion, manufacturers and users of diagnostic tests, regulatory experts and representatives from politics and health insurance dealt with the question of how companies can nevertheless implement innovative, partly AI-supported tests and secure their financing. Bastian Hennig from industry leader Roche Diagnostics Deutschland described the hurdles using the example of a revolutionary therapy for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, which will soon be approved. The German healthcare system is not prepared for either this therapy or the necessary accompanying diagnostics. According to Hennig, documentation accounts for a large part of the workload in the development of such new methods and technologies. The experts on the panel were critical of the long time it takes from development to the application and billability of new tests and methods. This process must be accelerated if European companies want to compete with US giants such as Google Health in the future.
Self-testing at the kitchen table instead of diagnostics in the lab?
One trend that was in focus at the conference was point-of-care (POC) diagnostics, i.e. carrying out diagnostic tests directly at the GP's office instead of in a central medical laboratory or self-testing at home. On-site tests are easy to use, provide quick results and save costs as they can reduce the number of visits to the doctor or clinic. However, it is also crucial that patients are accompanied by their doctor in order to classify results correctly. Although numerous tests are available, only a few of them have been widely used to date, as the current “POCT ambulant” study conducted by the Infectognostics Research Campus in collaboration with Jena University Hospital revealed. Possible reasons for this include regulatory and financial factors as well as a lack of integrability in everyday practice or too little medical advantage compared to a laboratory test, the speakers explained.
Developing new ideas together
The conference offered the experts plenty of opportunity for personal exchange. To kick things off, there were organized 1:1 discussions where participants could get to know each other and talk about possible collaborations. Between the presentations, exhibitors presented their products, technologies and services for diagnostics. The pitch competition offered five participants the opportunity to present their creative ideas for better diagnostics solutions to the audience in order to find cooperation partners, interested parties or supporters. This year, the participants also had the opportunity to obtain advice on regulatory and patent protection issues on site.
“The future of diagnostics lies in personalized, individual solutions through the combination of patient-oriented diagnostics and new, innovative test procedures paired with AI,” summarizes Oliver Nolte, board member of BioLAGO and Head of the Department of Diagnostics at the Institute of Medical Microbiology at the University of Zurich. “The conference has established itself as an important platform for the international diagnostics industry and contributes to the transfer of new solutions into healthcare,” adds Oliver Nolte. BioLAGO intends to stick to this concept, and preparations are already underway for the next conference in fall 2025. This year's supporting industry partners included Johner Institute, ETO Gruppe, Curida Diatec AS and the Center for Laboratory Medicine St. Gallen.
Save-the-date: 7. Diagnostics-4-Future Conference 2025 - 07.-08.10.2025
(Source: Press release BioLAGO, 18.11.2024)
