Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts Felix Tran and Haim Israel, believe that genome sequencers such as Illumina, high-tech players such as Alphabet and biotech companies such as Novartis are on the cusp of “bringing unprecedented increases to the quality and length of human lifespans.” If true, this certainly will be a factor in the equation of reserving lifetime workers’ compensation awards.
Innovation in genome science, big data and “ammortality,” which includes wearable technology and products in the so-called wellness space, could soon prolong healthy human life well beyond 100 years, according to BofA analysts.
“Medical knowledge will double every 73 days by 2020 vs. every 3.5 (years) in 2010, and genomic sequencing costs have fallen 99.999% since 2003,” Israel and Tran wrote. “This has enabled a new frontier in precision medicine to further extend life expectancy, heralding a ‘techmanity’ (technology meets humanity) revolution.”
Genomics, or the study of the human genome, will provide the “next generation of gene editing technology offering potentially revolutionary advances in prevention and disease treatments,” Bank of America said. Companies such as $46 billion genome sequencer Illumina, $27 billion lab instrument manufacturer Agilent and $89 billion life science equipment maker Danaher all have exposure to the space.
The growth of artificial intelligence combined with an ever-growing body of health-care data should help researchers analyze pathology, or the study of the causes and effects of diseases, in the years to come. Improvements in the technology have the potential to bring down health-related costs and enable precision medicine, the BofA analysts said.
Names in this space include Google parent Alphabet, Amazon (including its joint venture with Berkshire Hathaway and J.P. Morgan Chase) and Apple.
The “ammortality” theme “will help to improve health spans and [lifespans] to the betterment of human vitality, enabling the world population to live freer of disease rather than forever.” Companies that represent “ammortality” plays as described by BofA include health-care technology firms such as Intuitive Surgical and Zimmer, which worked with Apple Watch to start a clinical study for 10,000 knee and hip replacement patients.
“Moonshot medicine” companies – or those that offer revolutionary solutions for health care – include the aforementioned Illumina and genomics companies as well as therapy makers such as Sangamo, Vertex Pharma and Neurocrine. These companies are working on cures or treatments for some of humanity’s toughest diseases, ranging from cystic fibrosis to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.