Exploring the Use of Virtual Reality in Pharma

VR offers a great solution for showcasing a product or device through virtual demonstrations and 360° view simulations. VR has dramatically increased engagement levels when it comes to product marketing. VR headsets allow the viewer to see a product or device from all angles. The user can also interact with the content, which heightens the engagement levels and aids understanding of how a product/device works in the body and the mechanism by which it performs. Using VR, a simple product/device demo or MoA/MoD can be turned into a more stimulating experience that resonates with the viewer and allows them to understand how the product/drug works in more detail. Rather than carrying around samples and large models to showcase a product or concept, a small VR headset is all that is needed.

VR has become a fundamental tool at conferences and events, where interactive demos, games, and experiences using headsets can not only attract attention but can also capture and maintain it. Product pipelines and mechanisms of action can be conveyed into a VR experience so that important key messages from trials and research can be explored at the touch of a button.

In contrast, VR can also work well remotely. The affordability of VR headsets means that they are widely accessible to the majority of companies and institutions. The content can be shared and ready to view on a VR device. Headsets can easily be shipped, which is extremely beneficial when clients or colleagues cannot travel due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The value of VR in healthcare goes far beyond pharmaceutical marketing. VR is becoming an extremely valuable tool for educating patients about their conditions, medications, treatments, and surgical procedures. As patients become more inquisitive and curious about their conditions, treatments, and disease journey, HCPs need to be well equipped to help patients understand their illness and put them at ease.

Often the mechanisms by which drugs work are extremely complex, and many patients often struggle to understand how they will affect the body. This is where VR steps in. The opportunity for a patient to fully immerse themselves into the virtual world can help promote awareness of their condition and treatment plan. This helps reduce anxiety and provides the patient with a far greater knowledge of their condition, allowing them to make more informed decisions.

Another revolutionary use of VR is its support in diagnosing various diseases.

VR can be used alongside other diagnostic devices such as MRI and CT scanners to help physicians make an accurate diagnosis and identify many diseases. It has already been used to help diagnose Alzheimer’s, Schizophrenia, PTSD, ADHD, brain trauma, and eye conditions.

Furthermore, VR is also crucial for treatment and therapy in healthcare facilities. It is widely used as a helpful form of therapy for patients suffering from anxiety, stress, and psychotic disorders. There is also much promise in using VR for patient rehabilitation by providing stimulating activities to develop skills for patients with physical disabilities.

Finally, the capabilities of VR technology now benefit surgeons with preparation for complex surgeries and procedures. Immersive VR can be used to visualize a patient’s exact anatomy. The ability to accurately depict the anatomy and planned surgical approach can minimize complications and improve patient outcomes.

Pharmaceutical companies rely on good data processing within their research and development facilities. As the quantities of data from drug pipelines and trials increase, pharma companies are looking for technology to communicate crucial data in a visual presentation. VR can help to visualize data and bring it to life in such an exciting and novel way.

A prime use of VR in pharma research is its implementation for drug-target interaction studies and predicting the outcomes of a drug’s effect in the body.  Using VR technology to see how molecules interact and move around the body is extremely beneficial for improving drug discovery and preclinical research phases. This is because the research scientists can see these interactions and mechanisms, which goes far beyond human imagination alone. This assists scientists to restructure and re-engineer molecules and drugs.

Immersive VR has become a key player for next-generation drug discovery and pharmacological modelling. Traditional 3D models and 2D projections have been a useful tool for researchers, but VR offers several advantages to drug discovery and modelling. VR allows the user to step inside the molecular environment and see the product, drug, or molecule they want to learn more about in action.

In drug discovery, VR apparatus allows researchers to observe dynamics that are crucial for predicting the molecular modifications needed to design new drug candidates, allowing scientific creativity. Ligand interactions, structural proteins, binding sites, microbes, macromolecules, viruses… the list of key scientific life to visualize is endless.