CBO of one of Europe’s largest science and technology parks calls for richer female specific data sets to enable more informed and personalised healthcare
Despite significant strides in medical science, women’s health remains inadequately addressed in many critical areas. The UK Government’s Women’s Health Strategy, highlights the stark lack of representation in medical research and shortfall in healthcare solutions specifically for women. Despite living longer, the average woman spends nearly a quarter of her life in poor health, compared with a fifth for men. Action is needed now to help close the gap on representation and contribute long-term healthcare solutions for women, for generations to come.
The statistics are truly striking with reports across 770 diseases, from diabetes to cancer, that women are diagnosed on average four years later than men. The British Heart Foundation reported coronary heart disease, the main cause of heart attacks, kills more than twice as many women as breast cancer in the UK every year, and it was the single biggest killer of women worldwide in 2019, yet it is still perceived to be a male disease. Furthermore, 70% of chronic pain sufferers are female yet 80% of pain medication is tested exclusively on men or male mice, contributing to the fact women are twice as likely to suffer adverse side effects from medication.
Even when looking at investment in female health technologies, a disparity exists as only 2% of Venture Capital money goes to female founded businesses. Worse still, in the last five years more male founded women’s health companies secured funding compared to female founded. Yet female founded businesses have proven overtime they are more risk aware and will typically attract lower sums of investment but do more with it, in some cases generating higher profit margins.
So what does this mean for the future of women’s healthcare? There needs to be more females represented as senior figures in the industry both from the clinical and scientific side, to the business and investment side. Innovators who are developing life changing technologies also must consider female patients from very early stages, ensuring it can work for both sexes.
At Discovery Park we are fostering a thriving community for life sciences through various initiatives and amenities. Our team provides start-ups and scale-ups with the knowledge, mentoring and networking opportunities they need to progress and in some cases even demo their businesses to a select group of hand-picked investors.
Our science park offers a unique blend of resources, expertise, and supportive infrastructure tailored for companies focused on advancing health equity initiatives. Already we’re a proud home to a number of dynamic businesses working in this space.
Some examples of our initiatives include our Discovery Spark programme which offers growth and support for early stage businesses or Discovery Park Ventures (DPV) which provides vital investment for emerging life sciences companies, focusing on transformative ideas and impactful innovation. We are also actively building a network of investors keen to capitalise on this untapped market.
The healthcare system has traditionally been designed by men, for men. Historical research biases and a lack of representation in clinical trials have resulted in healthcare solutions that don’t fully cater to women’s specific circumstances. This oversight can lead to less effective treatment and higher risks for women. Additionally, many medical conditions present differently in women compared to men, yet research and medical training often fails to account for these differences, resulting in a one-size-fits-all approach to treatment.
Awareness is key to uncover more research, attract more funding and drive change but this all starts with data. The world is going through a period of exponential change in the adoption of data and the speed of technological advancements, and that includes within healthcare. From the adoption of artificial intelligence to the rise in wearable devices, there is a seismic shift towards personalised healthcare and precision medicine. This allows for new and more innovative approaches to healthcare but it is imperative for the future of improved women’s healthcare that strong female specific data sets are developed now.
Artificial intelligence is only as good as the data it is being fed, therefore without more informed female tests and statistics, that’s not going to change. Healthcare professionals should be equipped to make more informed decisions rather than forced to make assumptions based on a skewed baseline of data. Women form 52% of the global population, so arguably by involving female data sets early on, a more effective, successful product, medical device or therapy can be released to market.
The UK Government’s Women’s Health Strategy is an ambitious ten point plan covering various topics including improving access to healthcare, enabling more female voices to be heard and more open discussions of women’s health topics in the workplace. However, the plan focuses on strategy more than delivery, and that shift to implementation is where the real change will happen.
By considering female and male biologies at research stages, involving female subjects in clinical trials and encouraging more investment in femtech and women’s health solutions, wider society and the future of healthcare can only benefit as a result.
Jane Kennedy is Chief Business Officer at Discovery Park
