Biomedical Engineering Industry Terms

Pharma

Creates treatments with synthetic chemistry; tends to refer to large companies like Pfizer and Vertex

Creates treatments with compounds derived from organisms, like antibodies or protein drugs

Subset of pharma; molecular drugs similar to pharmaceuticals produced through biological means

Describes companies concerned with treating disease and/or alleviating patient pain

Creates or redesigns biological systems and genes; both for consumers and medicines; data-driven

Focuses on finding and identifying disease; often incorporates microfluids, genetic engineering, etc.

Industry that deals with medical device design and deployment, includes wearables

A branch of medtech concerned with the brain, implantations, imaging, and devices included

Combines digital technologies (apps, IoT, ML) with healthcare to increase care quality and/or data streams

An industry which develops natural, bioengineered, or synthetic materials for tissue replacement

Using bioengineering and biological organisms to create new materials for consumer or medical purposes

Focused on nanoparticles for drug delivery, electronics, etc. Materials science and physics-focused

Uses small valves/tubes to redirect liquids; used for diagnostics, lab-on-chips, tissue-simulating systems

Encompasses industry involved with acquiring, compiling, and analyzing medical images & corresponding data