Beyond borders 2022

12
Guest perspective

may reach capacity in processing power and energy

consumption. Traditional health care models also have
struggled to meet industry demand to better value the
long-term outcomes of patient care.

Bioconvergence represents a multidisciplinary approach

(see Figure 1) to improve the speed and impact of
scientific discovery. Operating at the intersection
between the natural and formal sciences, it unifies the
latest theories, processes and products in life science,
health care and electronics to enhance human health
and well-being.

Success depends on fusing a broad mix of competencies

Belén Garijo across several disciplines to generate novel functionality
or application outcomes. Below are three examples
Chair of the Executive Board and
where bioconvergence has already begun to transform
Chief Executive Officer
health care.
Merck Group

Figure 1. Bioconvergence hive of competencies

Bioconvergence: required for market success (examples for illustration

purposes only)

A multidisciplinary Population
modeling
Computational
fluid dynamics
(CFD)

approach to advance Disease

treatment and
simulation
Toxicity
testing
GUEST PERSPECTIVE

human health Translational

model-based
meta analysis
Integrated
Patient data
Drug delivery
and formulation

multi-OMICs Bioreactors
analyses
System
biology in
Isaac Newton’s theory of gravity, developed after he health and Digital twins Bioinformatics
observed an apple falling from a tree, is one of the disease state

earliest examples of how nature has inspired modern Drug-disease Device develop-
modelling ment & testing
science. The materials, structures and processes that
Quantitative
provide organisms with their functionality and behaviors sytem
AI/ML Sequencing
pharmacology
have contributed to countless discoveries. Nature modeling

and science are now being further aligned through Translational

medicine
Neuromorphic
computing
bioconvergence, a multidisciplinary approach harnessing In silico
methods for
synergies across biology, software and engineering to Data science drug discovery,
Material
innovation
optimization &
create novel market solutions. repurposing
Digitalization of
Until recently, scientific disciplines such as biotech
Stack design
biological data

or medicine operated mainly in isolation. While the Digital

Natural
Synaptic
language
pathology, memory circuit
achievements of this siloed approach are undeniable, radiomics
processing
design
(NLP)
there is risk of future technological stagnation. For
example, today’s generation of computers ultimately
 Beyond borders 2022
13
Guest perspective

1. Translational medicine
Our ability to leverage multiple biological and clinical
data points for medicines between initial discovery
and patient use has increased exponentially in recent
years. Forward and reverse translation techniques
using analytics and artificial intelligence (AI), including
machine learning (ML), are enabling the extraction of
hidden insights from massive data sets. In addition,
potential compound properties are now being predicted
earlier, while the development of novel targeted
medicines or combination therapies can occur faster and
with reduced risk.
Thanks to the alignment of modern biomarker,
sequencing and other technologies, bioconvergence for
translational medicine (see Figure 2) now promises to
GUEST PERSPECTIVE
make medicines far more personal, precise and inclusive.
One immediate opportunity is a universal molecular
signature of human diversity where multiple intrinsic
and extrinsic factors linked to disease are characterized
in unison. Advances in our ability to analyze OMICs
(refers to a field of study in biological sciences that
ends with -omic) data sourced from multiple genome,
microbiome, proteome, metabolome and other patient-
specific databases have been one primary catalyst for
innovation. When these databases are further integrated
with quantitative translation tools such as organs-
on-chips, bioelectronics and bioinformatics, we can
decrease access lag and individualize therapeutics with
the right drug, target and dose.

Figure 2: Bioconvergence of competencies for translational medicine

Application outcomes

Precision and personalized medicines

Drug–disease models, proof-of-mechanism (PoM) studies
BioM discovery and validation, signature of drug response and resistance
Definition of target patient population: subpopulations, diversity and inclusion
Integrated evidence-based safety prediction
Data-driven design of drug combinations, dose/regimen
Forecasting probability of success
Digital technologies

Translational model-based meta analysis System biology in health and disease state
Biotechnology

AI/machine learning
Integrated multi-OMICs analyses

Drug-disease modeling
Digitalization of biological data (preclinical,
Quantitative system pharmacology clinical and real-world data)
modeling Required
competencies Digital pathology, radiomics
Data science

In silico methods for drug discovery,

Data integration and analysis optimization and repurposing
 Beyond borders 2022
14
Guest perspective

2. Neuromorphic computing
Ten of the world’s fastest supercomputers consume the
same energy as 1.5 million lightbulbs. A human brain
can achieve the same processing capacity with less
power than a single lightbulb. Neuromorphic computing
seeks to emulate the biological neural structure of
the brain to achieve unparalleled levels of processing
performance and energy efficiency. First-generation
neural nets have already made significant progress in
areas such as speech recognition, medical imaging and
accelerated COVID-19 prediction.
By combining next-generation neural nets with OMICs
sequencing tools, bioinformatics and AI-powered
analytics, we can more accurately identify and model
new solutions in areas such as tissue engineering or
cancer development. When these disciplines are further
combined with clustered regularly interspaced short
palindromic repeats (CRISPR) for gene editing, a new
wave of safe, personalized medicines become possible
(see Figure 3).
To meet demand in the related field of genomics,
sequencing times per human must be reduced from
the current record of five hours to mere minutes. The
bioconvergence of neuromorphic computing with
advanced semiconductors, novel algorithms and other
tools should help genomics achieve this goal while
simultaneously decreasing cost.

Figure 3: Bioconvergence of competencies for neuromorphic computing

Application outcomes
Speech recognition Graph processing

Image classification Security

Medical imaging Cryptography

GUEST PERSPECTIVE

Population genomics Single-cell analysis

Recommender system Natural language processing (NLP)

Digital technologies

Bioinformatics
Biotechnology
AI/ML
Sequencing

Natural language processing (NLP)

Advanced analytics
Synaptic memory circuit design
Required
competencies CRISPR
Device development and testing

Material innovation
 Beyond borders 2022
15
Guest perspective

GUEST PERSPECTIVE
3. Digital twins for clinical trials
Through bioconvergence, technologies such as AI,
sequencing, bioinformatics, imaging and biosensors
can be used to create a comprehensive digital profile
of each clinical trial participant. Access to this vast
trove of “clinico-omics” patient data, coupled with AI-
enabled disease modeling techniques, enables in silico
simulations of trial outcomes calibrated to specific
patient characteristics for virtual synthetic control
arms. Digital twins can thus facilitate model-informed,
proof-of-concept clinical trial designs to reduce cost,
increase speed and improve the probability of success.
By narrowing the gap with patients in real-world medical
practice, digital twins will also enhance clinical diversity
and inclusion.

Ethical approaches
Participants in this emerging era of bioconvergence
may encounter ethical questions regarding how their
technologies should best be combined and applied for
the good of humanity. Merck has leveraged its deep
experience in areas such as bioethics to take the lead.
First, we have developed our Code of Digital Ethics,
which lists the core principles that must guide all
activities involving digital products and processes. When
biotechnologies and digital tools are able converge
to create opportunities in unexplored areas, joint
panels comprising independent experts with different
perspectives will be established to determine the right
path forward.

A new frontier for scientific collaboration

Bioconvergence is a new frontier of scientific
collaboration, enabling us to live longer, healthier and
more sustainably. Healthcare companies can increasingly
focus more on prevention, early detection and
responsive remote treatment with personalized, precise
therapies. As bioconvergence continues to evolve, we
can also look forward to an acceleration of innovation
across other emerging markets such as bioelectronics,
nanorobotics and regenerative medicine.