Drug modality selection

The following session will cover drug modality selection, focusing on the various types such as small molecules, biologics, nucleic acid based therapies, cell therapies, and digital therapeutics. We will explore the distinct advantages, challenges, and delivery considerations for each modality, examining how these factors influence their use for different diseases. Practical and real world issues such as efficacy, safety, manufacturing complexity, regulatory demands, and patient accessibility will also be discussed. Ultimately, the session will highlight the importance of aligning therapeutic choices with disease characteristics, patient needs, and implementation feasibility. When discussing drug modality selection, we mean choosing the most suitable therapeutic approach, whether small molecules, biologics, nucleic acid based therapies, cell therapies, or digital therapeutics based on disease characteristics, patient needs, and mechanism of action. Each modality offers unique advantages and challenges. As the landscape shifts from traditional drugs toward targeted biomolecules and digital solutions, decisions must balance efficacy, safety, manufacturing, regulatory and commercial factors. The most familiar modality is the small molecule drug, a chemically synthesized compound that interacts with proteins or biomolecules, often inhibiting or modulating their function in or at the cell surface. Biologics like monoclonal antibodies or recombinant proteins act mainly