Inside the Technology That Could Revolutionise Healthcare | Jos Joore

Did you know that more than 90% of drugs that show promise in the laboratory ultimately fail in human clinical trials? Every failure represents years of research, billions of dollars in investment, and, most importantly, patients left waiting for treatments that may never arrive. As the global healthcare industry searches for faster, safer, and more effective ways to develop medicines, a new generation of technologies is challenging one of medicine’s oldest assumptions: do we still need to rely on animal models to predict how drugs will perform in humans?

In this episode of Human Lab, and as part of our weekly briefings with our Member Stories, we feature Jos Joore, CEO and co-founder of MIMETAS, to explore how organ-on-a-chip technology is redefining the future of drug discovery and precision medicine.

At the heart of the conversation is a deceptively simple question: if medicine has advanced so dramatically over the past century, why do so many promising treatments still fail before reaching patients?

Jos explains how tiny, laboratory-grown human tissue models, built on sophisticated microfluidic chips, are helping researchers study diseases in ways that conventional cell cultures and animal testing simply cannot. These predictive human models are opening new possibilities for understanding how drugs behave inside the human body long before they reach clinical trials.

The discussion also explores one of the most significant regulatory developments in recent years: the growing acceptance of alternatives to animal testing following the FDA Modernization Act 2.0. Rather than viewing this as merely a legislative change, Jos explains why it represents a broader shift in how the pharmaceutical industry may approach research, development, and innovation over the coming decades.

But this conversation goes far beyond technology.

It delves into some of healthcare’s greatest challenges, from Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, stroke, and chronic inflammatory illnesses to the growing burden of mental health conditions. It highlights why many of these diseases remain so difficult to treat, not because scientists lack ambition, but because our understanding of the underlying biology is still evolving. As Jos candidly explains, creating accurate human disease models often depends as much on advances in biological research as it does on engineering.

The conversation also tackles an important paradox facing the pharmaceutical industry. Despite investing hundreds of billions of dollars in research every year, drug development remains remarkably inefficient. Why has the industry been slow to adopt technologies that could improve prediction, reduce failure rates, and accelerate discovery? Jos offers an honest perspective on the balance among scientific caution, regulatory expectations, and the realities of safely bringing life-saving medicines to market.

Another fascinating part of the discussion looks at how these technologies could reshape future responses to global health emergencies. From accelerating vaccine development during future pandemics to enabling more personalised cancer treatments and improving the understanding of complex neurological diseases, the possibilities extend well beyond today’s healthcare landscape.

Throughout the episode, Jos shares why he believes the industry is standing at a pivotal moment, comparing today’s organ-on-a-chip ecosystem to the early days of the semiconductor revolution. It is a compelling analogy that raises bigger questions about where healthcare innovation is heading and how emerging technologies may transform medicine over the next decade.

Whether you’re interested in biotechnology, healthcare innovation, pharmaceuticals, investment, or simply curious about what the future of medicine could look like, this episode offers a thought-provoking glimpse into one of the fastest-evolving fields in modern science.

Listen to the full episode of Human Lab to discover how human tissue models, precision medicine, and next-generation biotechnology could fundamentally change the way we develop drugs, treat disease, and improve healthcare outcomes worldwide. 

Disclaimer: The perspectives expressed by the guest are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of our platform. This discussion is intended solely for knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as an endorsement.

Produced by Global Indian Series for the Global Indian Network.
Script by Rajan Nazran
original idea: Rajan Nazran

Introduction music credit: https://freesound.org/people/GregorQuendel