The Osler Lecture 2012: Pharmacology 2.0, Medicines, Drugs, and Human Enhancement
June 2012
in “
QJM: An International Journal of Medicine
”
TLDR The lecture concluded that drugs for human enhancement are here to stay and called for their responsible development and fair access.
The Osler Lecture 2012, delivered by R. Flower, explored the evolution of pharmacology from treating diseases to also developing lifestyle drugs and human enhancement agents. It highlighted the growth of the lifestyle drug market, which was valued at $23 billion in 2006 and projected to reach $40 billion in 2010, and the significant market for anti-aging products, which was $162.2 billion in 2008 and expected to increase to $274.5 billion. The lecture discussed the ethical and regulatory challenges posed by drugs that enhance human performance, such as Viagra and Orlistat, and the widespread use of cognitive enhancers, with 16% of college students in the USA and 10% of UK students using them. It also mentioned the military's interest in neuroenhancement drugs. The lecture concluded that enhancement drugs are likely to remain and suggested a need to revise the traditional view that physicians should discourage medicine use, advocating for proper development, testing, and equitable access to these drugs.
