Designing medtech for the patients we haven't reached yet

By Shailesh Kumar, Commercial Lead, Asia Pacific 
 
Over the course of my career working across Asia Pacific's healthcare landscape, I've seen firsthand how innovation alone does not guarantee impact. We have extraordinary technologies capable of improving and extending lives, yet many patients across India and the broader APAC region still struggle to access solutions that truly meet their needs.

What has become increasingly clear to me is that the challenge is rarely a lack of innovation. More often, it is a question of relevance. Too many technologies are developed with one healthcare environment in mind and then expected to succeed everywhere.

As our industry looks to expand access and improve outcomes, I believe we have an opportunity and a responsibility to rethink that approach. The future of MedTech in India and APAC will belong to organizations that design with local realities, diverse patient populations, and long-term scalability in mind.

 
Innovation starts with understanding the patient

Healthcare innovation is advancing at an extraordinary pace. New materials, smarter devices, and increasingly sophisticated drug delivery technologies are redefining what is possible for patients around the world.

Yet in my conversations with customers and innovators across India and the broader Asia-Pacific region, I often find that access remains one of healthcare's most persistent challenges. In many cases, technology exists. The opportunity lies in ensuring that solutions are designed with the realities of local healthcare systems, economic conditions, regional regulatory framework and patient populations in mind.

As the MedTech industry continues to evolve, I believe we must think beyond innovation alone and ask a more important question: how do we scale that innovation in a way that reaches more people without compromising quality, performance, or clinical outcomes?

For me, the answer begins with designing differently.

Innovation must reflect local realities

One lesson I have learned repeatedly while working across APAC is that no market should be viewed through a single lens.

India is a powerful example. While it is often discussed as one of the world's most exciting MedTech growth markets, the reality is far more nuanced. Patient needs, healthcare infrastructure, purchasing power, and access to care can vary dramatically from one region to another. Similar dynamics exist across APAC, where healthcare systems, reimbursement models, and regulatory pathways differ significantly between countries.

What this means for innovators is that a one-size-fits-all approach rarely succeeds.

In my view, the most successful healthcare solutions are those designed around the needs of the patients they serve. Rather than adapting global products after the fact, we should be asking from the outset how technologies can better align with the environments, clinicians, and patient populations they are intended to support.

The goal is not simply to expand access. It is to deliver meaningful clinical value in a way that is both sustainable and scalable 

Biomaterials as a strategic differentiator

Throughout my career, I've seen how discussions around medical devices often focus on design, while materials are treated as a secondary consideration.

Today, I see that changing.

Increasingly, innovators recognize that biomaterials are not simply components within a device. They play a functional role in determining how that device performs in the body and, ultimately, how patients experience outcomes.

Whether it's biocompatibility, mechanical performance, degradation behavior, or drug-elution capabilities, material selection influences far more than product specifications. It influences clinical success.

What excites me most is the opportunity to bring biomaterials into the innovation conversation earlier. When material expertise becomes part of product development from the beginning, entirely new possibilities emerge. Devices can be optimized not only for performance but also for the unique challenges of specific healthcare settings, helping bridge the gap between technological capability and practical accessibility.

The growing convergence of pharma and medtech

One trend I find particularly compelling across India and APAC is the increasing convergence of pharmaceutical expertise and medical device innovation.

As pharmaceutical companies look for new avenues of differentiation, many are moving beyond traditional formulations and exploring combination products, localized therapies, implantable platforms, and advanced drug delivery technologies.

I see this as far more than a market trend. It represents a shift in how we think about treatment itself.

The most promising innovations increasingly bring together expertise from multiple disciplines, combining materials science, drug formulation, device engineering, and clinical insight to address unmet patient needs.

For organizations operating in this space, success will depend not only on technology but also on collaboration. In my experience, companies that engage early, provide technical guidance, and help navigate development and regulatory pathways are often best positioned to accelerate innovation and create long-term impact.

Expanding access through scalable innovation

One misconception I encounter frequently is that affordability and quality exist in opposition to one another. From a commercial perspective, a successful innovation must have right cost structure, meet the required quality standards, and can be scalable in production. 

I believe the future of healthcare innovation will prove the opposite.

The challenge is not choosing between accessibility and performance. The challenge is designing solutions capable of delivering both.

This is where platform-based biomaterial technologies can play an important role. By leveraging proven material performance and established safety profiles, innovators can develop scalable products that serve multiple market segments while maintaining consistent quality standards.

From my perspective, this is one of the most effective ways to expand access responsibly. It allows organizations to reduce complexity and accelerate development while maintaining the clinical confidence that healthcare providers and patients expect. 

Turning opportunity into impact

Across India and the broader Asia-Pacific region, I believe we are approaching a pivotal moment for healthcare innovation.

Investment is increasing. Manufacturing capabilities continue to mature. Regulatory frameworks are evolving. At the same time, advances in digital health, AI-enabled technologies, and drug delivery science are opening new possibilities for patient care.

Taken together, these trends create an environment where meaningful progress is possible.

For me, the opportunity extends beyond commercial growth. It is about partnering with innovators earlier, helping them unlock the full potential of biomaterials and drug delivery technologies, and ultimately enabling solutions that reach more patients.

At the end of the day, I do not believe success should be measured solely by how advanced a technology becomes. It should be measured by the difference it makes in people's lives.

Closing the gap between what healthcare innovation can achieve and what patients can access remains one of the industry's greatest challenges. It is also one of our greatest opportunities to bring progress to life.