Towards better understanding of patient centric drug product development in an increasingly older patient population

Abstract

The substantial reduction in premature death and longevity is an achievement of modern societies and advances in technology, medical and pharmaceutical sciences. Derived from the effective management of acute and chronic diseases throughout the lifetime the typical age related, later life stage diseases will become more dominant characteristics in future patients as well as other age related impairments or life conditions. Naturally, this leads to patients with complex clinical and functional patterns that are accompanied by the necessity of therapeutic interventions and polypharmacy. With the increasing number of older people and especially those with very high age in the society, new distinct older patient populations are evolving that require patient centered therapies and drug products to maintain safety and efficacy as well as effectiveness. Understanding how the patient populations and their characteristics change from a clinical, daily functioning and a patient perspective is crucial to move towards patient centric drug products.

Keywords: Multimorbidity; Older patients; Patient centric; Polypharmacy; Therapeutic complexity.