The FDA is an agency with a complex mission and it’s under pressure. With a remit that covers validation, innovation, and security, the agency is probably best known for approving new drugs and therapies for both humans and animals. The agency also oversees the safety and security of biological products and medical devices, the food supply, and plays a significant role in counterterrorism and global public health. The FDA tackles this critical mission with every resource at its disposal, but at a time when the agency’s workforce is shrinking, senior leadership is retiring, and funding is being cut, being able to deliver on the mission is extremely challenging.
While the staffing, funding, and workload at the FDA is far from ideal, the development of digital twin technology presents an opportunity to overcome these challenges and deliver mission success. In this roundup we explore how digital twin technology could help the FDA streamline the drug approval process, secure supply chains, and support the development of new medical technologies.
Read on to learn more.
FDA Supports the Development of Digital Twins for Biomedical Applications
Over the past year, the FDA, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), has awarded over $6 million for investment in digital twin technology. Digital twin technology enables the creation of a real-time virtual counterpart of something in the physical world. A digital twin could be anything from a component in an industrial plant to a human organ, and they show great promise in the development of drug therapies and other biomedical applications.
“Digital twins have the potential to remove common medical risks involved in patient monitoring and treatment, providing a framework for optimal decision-making,” shared Yulia Gel, program director in the NSF Division of Mathematical Sciences, which leads the Foundations for Digital Twins as Catalyzers of Biomedical Technological Innovation (FDT-BioTech). “Real-world use of these complex models could streamline clinical trials for safer development of drugs and medical devices.”
You can learn more about digital twins and the projects that were awarded funding here.
Heart Health Research Advances Quickly with Digital Twins
Heart disease is the leading cause of death globally and impacts the longevity of certain communities – including indigenous populations – dramatically. Researchers at TCS – Tata Consultancy Services, parent company of Tata America International Corporation, decided to learn more about heart health and how to mitigate the impact of heart disease on communities using data from their Future Athlete Project.
“Created by integrating personalized data with 3D cardiac models, the Future Athlete Project deploys digital twin technology to track heart rate, heart pumping duration, change in cardiac output relative to running pace, and change in blood flow relative to the intensity of a workout, among other insights” the article shared. As a result of this work, TCS will create digital twins of the hearts of four First Nations athletes to unlock insights on heart health.
Read more about this exciting project here.
Rehearsing the Future is Not an Oxymoron with Digital Twin Technology
How can you possibly rehearse the future? With digital twin technology, it is possible.
In an article that we published in 2024, a group of futurists discussed how digital twin technology can help federal agencies deliver on the mission whether that’s in healthcare, supply chains, or financial modeling. However, for futurist Frank Diana, using digital twin technology isn’t enough. His advice to federal agencies is to create a digital twin division to continually invest in policy, budgeting, and developing use cases.
Learn how you can rehearse the future with digital twins here.
