DIGITAL HEALTHCARE
Nemaura Medical, Inc | January 14, 2022
Nemaura Medical, Inc.(“Nemaura” or the “Company”), a medical technology company focused on developing and commercializing non-invasive wearable diagnostic devices and supporting personalized lifestyle coaching programs, announces the launch for employers and insurers of Miboko, a new metabolic health program using a non-invasive glucose sensor along with an AI mobile application. The Company’s goal is to achieve broad adoption of Miboko as a form of preventative medicine for a wide user base through these commercial channels and is aligned with the general trend in consumer digital healthcare.
“Introducing Miboko to the population at-large through employers and insurers will allow Nemaura to reach a much wider audience in much faster fashion than solely relying on a direct-to-consumer campaign, and in the Western world, these institutions are the most reliable gateway toward wider adoption of preventative health maintenance practices. Being aware of one’s metabolic health and how the body uniquely regulates sugar is key to one’s health. Patients, of course, want to be as informed as possible about their health, and employers and insurers are also aligned with patients in that regard, given the massive productivity losses and healthcare costs at stake on a larger scale across their employee and insured base, respectively. Miboko can help address this substantial market opportunity through our non-invasive, revolutionary approach to healthcare.”
Nemaura CEO Dr. Faz Chowdhury
Nemaura has also submitted a Premarket Approval (PMA) to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of its glucose monitoring device as a Class 3 medical device. The Company’s PMA was the subject an on-site FDA bioresearch monitoring (BIMO) audit that generated a single Form 483 observation, for which the Company has committed to a full response this quarter. A follow-up BIMO audit of the clinical investigator site has also been scheduled for the current financial quarter.
Miboko has been in development for nearly two years and addresses a significant mass market opportunity that the Company believes could benefit roughly a third to half of the population by using a non-invasive glucose sensor to measure and monitor a user’s metabolic health score, which is based on glucose tolerance or insulin resistance. Those with prediabetes or obesity concerns -- or even those looking to maintain better health through more careful glucose control -- may benefit from such a metabolic health program. How one’s body metabolizes sugar is the main influencer of one’s appetite, weight, sleep quality, and energy and mood levels and even plays a critical factor in chronic diseases (beyond just diabetes), such as heart disease and dementia.
At the heart of the Miboko offering is Nemaura’s non-invasive glucose sensor that is designed to measure insulin resistance, reported as a metabolic health score, and priced to be highly affordable with the program running for an initial two-year period. The program also uses a mobile app to provide users with personalized information by tracking their metabolism. A user can find out how well their body responds to sugar through their metabolic health score — and how what they eat and what they do every day uniquely affects their metabolic health.
Along with the capability to follow metabolic health progress on the app, Miboko users receive weekly and monthly reports that show and explain their body’s unique metabolic health score and a breakdown of how each of their habits are impacting their overall health and wellbeing. Suggestions for small, manageable changes to daily routines, such as eating more or less of a certain kind of food or exercising at a different time of day to coincide with peak energy levels, provide Miboko users with personalized, usable data.
About Nemaura Medical, Inc.
Nemaura Medical Inc. is a medical technology company developing and commercializing non-invasive wearable diagnostic devices. The company is currently commercializing sugarBEAT® and proBEAT™. sugarBEAT®, a CE mark approved Class IIb medical device, is a non-invasive and flexible continuous glucose monitor (CGM) providing actionable insights derived from real time glucose measurements and daily glucose trend data, which may help people with diabetes and pre-diabetes to better manage, reverse, and prevent the onset of diabetes. Nemaura has submitted a PMA (Premarket Approval Application) for sugarBEAT® to the U.S. FDA. proBEAT™ combines non-invasive glucose data processed using artificial intelligence and a digital healthcare subscription service and has been launched in the U.S. as a general wellness product as part of its BEAT®diabetes program that is currently undergoing pilot studies.
Additionally, Nemaura has launched Miboko, a new metabolic health and well-being program using a non-invasive glucose sensor along with an AI mobile application that helps a user understand how certain foods and lifestyle habits can impact one’s overall metabolic health and well-being. Nemaura believes that up to half the population could benefit from a sensor and program that monitors metabolic health and well-being.
The Company sits at the intersection of the global Type 2 diabetes market that is expected to reach nearly $59 billion by 2025, the $50+ billion pre-diabetic market, and the wearable health-tech sector for weight loss and wellness applications that is estimated to reach $60 billion by 2023.
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MEDICAL DEVICES
BD | December 22, 2021
BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company, today announced it has completed the acquisition of privately held Scanwell Health Inc., a leader in smartphone-enabled at-home medical tests.BD collaborated with Scanwell to develop the app used with the recently launched BD Veritor™ At-Home COVID-19 Test, the first at-home COVID-19 test that uniquely uses a smartphone camera and app to capture and interpret results, eliminating the human subjectivity in other visually read at-home antigen tests. Scanwell will become the foundational digital platform upon which BD plans to develop at-home diagnostic tests for a range of infectious diseases including COVID-19/influenza A+B, group A strep and additional menu for detecting infections and managing chronic disease.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift to new care settings, and BD is ready to deliver a smart, connected at-home diagnostic ecosystem to support traditional and telehealth providers and consumers. This acquisition will enable us to expand and scale our digital capabilities in-house to speed time to market for transformative at-home solutions now and in the future."
Dave Hickey, president of Life Sciences for BD
The Scanwell app is a key differentiator in the market for at-home COVID-19 testing. To date, no other company uses the phone's camera to capture the image of the test that is then analyzed and interpreted by the app. Other COVID-19 home tests use smartphones as part of their process, but BD Veritor™ At-Home COVID-19 Test is the first and only test to use the smartphone as the analyzer to digitally interpret the test results and provide a definitive POSITIVE or NEGATIVE digital display of testing results. The app also has the capabilities to securely store and report test results to organizations, including businesses, public health authorities and schools. The results of tests are stored in the app and can be referenced and displayed at any time by simply logging into the app.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to be immaterial to BD's fiscal 2022 financial results. Scanwell financial results will be reported under the Integrated Diagnostic Solutions business within the Life Sciences segment.
About the BD Veritor™ At-Home COVID-19 Test
The BD Veritor™ At-Home COVID-19 Test has not been FDA cleared or approved; but has been authorized by FDA under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). This product has been authorized only for the detection of proteins from SARS-CoV-2, not for any other viruses or pathogens. The emergency use of this product is only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of IVDs for detection and/or diagnosis of COVID-19 under Section 564(b)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the declaration is terminated or authorization is revoked sooner.
About BD
BD is one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world and is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. The company supports the heroes on the frontlines of health care by developing innovative technology, services and solutions that help advance both clinical therapy for patients and clinical process for health care providers. BD and its 70,000 employees have a passion and commitment to help enhance the safety and efficiency of clinicians' care delivery process, enable laboratory scientists to accurately detect disease and advance researchers' capabilities to develop the next generation of diagnostics and therapeutics. BD has a presence in virtually every country and partners with organizations around the world to address some of the most challenging global health issues. By working in close collaboration with customers, BD can help enhance outcomes, lower costs, increase efficiencies, improve safety and expand access to health care.
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HEALTH TECHNOLOGY
Royal Philips | December 24, 2021
Royal Philips, a global leader in health technology, today announced it has signed a 12-year strategic partnership with IJsselland Hospital (Capelle aan den Ijssel, The Netherlands). As the hospital’s strategic technology partner, Philips will target improved care for patients and care providers at IJsselland Hospital and in the surrounding region. The collaboration will focus on innovation, digitalization and optimization, and includes the purchase of patient monitoring and radiology solutions including CT and MRI systems.
Home monitoring collaboration expanded
In addition to the new strategic partnership, Philips and IJsselland Hospital plan to expand their existing home monitoring partnership for patients with heart failure and COPD. Philips will provide clinical and patient decision support software which enables implementation of remote health and care programs and facilitates collaboration between different healthcare providers.
“Technological developments in healthcare are currently moving very fast,” said Albert van Wijk, Chairman of IJsselland Hospital’s Board of Directors. “As a regional hospital, we want to keep up with these developments to provide the best care for our patients. We have chosen Philips as a technology partner to jointly develop the hospital of the future. This will be good for our patients and our healthcare professionals. Moreover, Philips’ vision fits well with our strategy.”
“Over the past year, we have worked with IJsselland Hospital to convert their strategy and challenges into a partnership. I am very proud of this partnership, in which we don’t focus solely on technology but look more broadly at the challenges the hospital faces. A great deal of attention is paid to innovation, which is why we are starting a joint fund for innovation and optimization. We also want to work explicitly on optimizing care processes, so that the hospital can work smarter and save costs.”
Léon Kempeneers, Health Systems, Philips Benelux
About Royal Philips
Royal Philipsis a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and well-being, and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum – from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2020 sales of EUR 17.3 billion and employs approximately 78,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries.
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FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE
MERU HEALTH | January 18, 2022
Meru Health, the most comprehensive mental health solution in the market with industry-leading outcomes, and Evry Health, a modern business-to-business health insurance company announced today that they will partner on delivering Meru Health's solution to Evry Health's members in Dallas, Texas starting January 2022.
The Meru Health online mental health solution will be embedded as part of Evry Health's tailored wellness plans that come at no cost to the employer or their employees. These specialized, optional wellness solutions provide a wide range of resources, tools and rewards that are different from other health insurance plans, including benefits such as mental health support through Meru Health. Members will be recommended to the program based on pre-screening criteria as well as Evry Health's data analysis.
For example, if Evry Health receives a claim for cancer screening and oncologist claims, this is a flag to proactively loop the member into Meru Health's mental health program and support cycles. The partnership will focus on delivering outcomes-based mental healthcare and it rewards members for following their personalized care pathways. A member who completes Meru Health's 12-week Therapy program can get up to $100 reward for doing so.
"This is a completely new way of delivering mental healthcare and we are proud to partner with Meru Health to together change how the system works," said Chris Gay, Evry Health CEO. "Focusing on outcomes is the way mental healthcare – and healthcare in general – should be delivered now and in the future. We are confident our members will get the best possible value-based care, and see their mental health improve as they go through the Meru Health program."
Incentivizing members to take care of their mental health can lead to major cost savings down the line. According to data from BCBS, people with major depression are on average nearly 30 percent less healthy than those without depression. This decrease in overall health translates into increased costs: a depressed person has $6,390 more healthcare costs than nondepressed people every year.
Evry Health incentivizes participants to focus on better mental health through its voluntary wellness plans. Rewards are deposited to an Evry Health Reward Card that members use like any other credit card.
Meru Health is focused on delivering the best long- and short-term outcomes in the market. After program completion, 75% of people are in depression or anxiety symptom remission and 85% of people show clinically significant improvement, measured on industry standard PHQ-9 (depression) and GAD-7 (anxiety) scales. The Meru Health Program is one of only digital mental health interventions with published research that shows that these treatment gains last 12 months after the end of treatment.
"We could not be more excited to partner Evry Health, who is changing health insurance just like we are transforming mental healthcare. Together we can really deliver patient-centric care that ensures that people prioritize their mental health. Health plans and employers would benefit a lot focusing more on outcomes. The question we should be asking is are people getting better and staying better after the treatment? I believe trailblazers like Evry Health will be a role model in the industry to start focusing more on care outcomes."
Kristian Ranta, the CEO of Meru Health
About Meru Health
Meru Health is setting the new standard in mental healthcare with the most comprehensive online solution that combines licensed therapists and psychiatrists, a smartphone-based treatment program, biofeedback training, anonymous peer support, and habit-changing activities for sleep, nutrition, and more.
The company is committed to evidence-based care and has published groundbreaking clinical outcomes with Stanford, Harvard, and UC Davis that show promising clinical effectiveness and lasting results. Meru Health offers a convenient, accessible, side-effect-free mental health treatment option in contrast to the standard of care in the U.S. today. Meru Health partners with major health insurance providers like Cigna, Humana, and Moda Health, as well as leading businesses that want to provide best-in-class mental health care for their employees or members.
About Evry Health
Headquartered in Dallas, Evry Health is not your standard health plan. We're on a mission to make healthcare affordable, transparent and high quality again by providing expanded benefits at an affordable price, lowering premiums by up to 20%. We're building the health insurance we've always wanted for ourselves, with a high-tech, mobile-first experience focused on helping people live better, healthier lives.
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