A recent report by Capgemini Invent, a brand of Capgemini, brings forward the idea of a device called “Green Horizon”, with an intention to develop a greener alternative for the existent process involved in medication.
Capgemini’s green solution
Capgemini’s proposed device is a patch that is connected to mRNA (messenger RNA) —made from DNA through a process called transcription, and which is necessary for producing proteins. The device is believed to deliver to the patient an mRNA that would produce a molecule as per the requirement, in the right concentration, and at the right time. Age, gender, and RNA, would aid in producing a molecule with maximum efficiency, states the report.
Moreover, after the patient recovers, the used strap of the patch would be discarded and the device (electronic component) would be returned to the healthcare company. Overall, their approach is directed towards making the human body a ‘medication factory’. They think that this will greatly reduce the waste involved in medication production and purchase.
In their report, a heat map of the environmental impacts (with respect to water, CO2, wastewater production, and costs) of the steps involved in medication throughout its lifecycle (from R & D until the end of first or second life) is presented (as seen below), highlighting the importance of building a device like the Green Horizon.
A study by a team of researchers from Health Care Without Harm, Washington DC, USA, and Arup, London, UK, published in the European Journal of Public Health in 2020, involved assessing the healthcare sector’s contribution towards climate change using data from 43 countries.
This study pointed out critical sources in the healthcare sector that produce significant carbon emissions. Their analysis revealed that the healthcare sector’s climate footprint was equal to 4.4% of the global net emissions. Along with this, they also found the top three healthcare emitters to be the USA, China, and the European Union. Their results, which revealed that the healthcare supply chain contributed to 71% of the emissions, further emphasize the need for sustainable approaches in healthcare.
Challenges and action plan
The challenges associated with Green Horizon stated in the report include— acceptability of the device by patients and the product’s value chain. To address the issue of acceptability, the team believes that Behavioral Design (a design concerned with influencing human behavior) backed by healthcare companies can play a pivotal role in educating patients. Tackling the value chain issue would require including experts from various backgrounds— MedTech, electronics, and molecule design, to name a few— who would aid in estimating the risk and investment involved.
Furthermore, the report highlights their action plan in the form of milestones involved to transform their concept into reality, and segregates these milestones into three levels that need to be worked on first.
Level 1 involves medication intake optimization through a ‘companion app’ along with eco-designed packaging and digital leaflets. Level 2 involves personalizing the medication according to the patient’s biology with an equal focus on using greener manufacturing processes. Finally, Level 3 involves creating a device that gives the right dose of medication at the right time as well as virtual tests and clinical trials.
A Green Horizon approach can be implemented in every business or industry type, the report states. Capgemini’s team also believes that such approaches are crucial in driving creativity and innovation, and that industries have an important role in raising awareness and reducing environmental impacts.
