Microsoft has made its aspirations in digital health clear with a whopping $19.7 billion deal to buy Nuance Communications and its artificial intelligence platform for speech recognition that is increasingly being used for clinical applications. The $56 per share deal is all about increasing Microsoft’s… Read More »Microsoft puts AI at heart of digital health strategy with Nuance deal
European insurance giant AXA has stepped up an alliance with Microsoft to develop an international digital health platform on the back of successful pilots in Germany and Italy last year. The aim is to develop an “all-in-one” digital platform featuring a self-assessment tool, a personalised… Read More »AXA partners Microsoft on ‘all-in-one’ digital health platform
More than 5,000 collaborative studies were thwarted by GDPR rules in 2019 – but is there a way to protect sensitive data while still allowing international health research to thrive? A coalition of European academy networks has called upon European Union (EU) leaders to rethink… Read More »GDPR represents an “urgent threat” to the EU’s research leadership role
The FDA has approved the first artificial intelligence-powered device that can be used to help identify colorectal lesions during the millions of colonoscopies carried out each year in the US. Cosmo Pharma’s GI Genius is a hardware and software bundle that overlays the images generated… Read More »AI device cleared by FDA to spot lesions during colonoscopy
Cohere Health raised $36 million in a Series B funding round less than two years after its inception. It will use the new funds to expand its prior authorization platform and integrate health plan benefits to eliminate missed opportunities for care.
A scheduled update to the NHS COVID-19 app has been blocked because it allows location tracking – something prohibited by Apple and Google, which developed some of the code it uses. The new version of the app used in England and Wales was due to… Read More »Apple, Google block NHS contact tracing app update on privacy grounds
Exscientia was the first company to start human trials of a new drug designed using artificial intelligence (AI) last year, and now says it has started testing of the first AI candidate for immuno-oncology. Oxford, UK-based Exscientia has been working with German biotech Evotec on… Read More »Exscientia starts trials of first AI-derived cancer immunotherapy
UK artificial intelligence specialist Healx has begun a partnership with two medical charities that aims to uncover new therapies for the neurodegenerative disease Friedreich’s ataxia (FA). Healx has joined forces with Ataxia UK and the US-based Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) on the project, and… Read More »Healx deploys its AI in hunt for Friedreich’s ataxia therapies
A digital tool used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is being tested to see if it can help counter lingering, fuzzy thinking in COVID-19 survivors, a condition sometimes known as ‘brain fog’. An app called EndeavorRx – developed by PureTech Health-backed Akili Interactive –… Read More »Digital tool will be tested against COVID-19 ‘brain fog’
COVID-19 has been a trial-by-fire showing just how quickly drugs and vaccines can be developed under the right circumstances – but there is much to do to ensure this progress is not lost, said speakers at WIRED Health 2021, including the CEOs of BioNTech and… Read More »COVID heralds a faster future for drug development (if stakeholders can collaborate)
UK digital health company Oxehealth has claimed FDA approval for software that can be used to remotely measure vital signs like heart and breathing rates from a camera feed. Oxehealth Vital Signs – which has been approved as a class IIa medical device in Europe… Read More »FDA green lights Oxehealth vital signs monitoring software
A new organisation dedicated to increasing the use of digital health in the NHS in Wales has come into being, 18 months after the move was first unveiled by the Welsh government. Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) – which has emerged from the now… Read More »Wales forms authority to drive digital health in NHS
AI simulated cell company Turbine is just one of many digital drug discovery firms on the rise in Hungary. We speak to the company’s CEO and co-founder, Szabolcs Nagy, to find out why moving beyond traditional biotech drug development is a good fit for the… Read More »Country focus: Hungary carves out a niche in digital pharma
Following the success of J+D’s face to face training, the content has been redesigned to make it suitable for an online audience. The training can be tailored to individual teams/departments within specific organisations or completed independently. There is a significant need for an improved approach… Read More »J+D Forecasting provides Online Team Pharma Forecasting Training
All Nippon Airways (ANA) has begun a trial of its CommonPass app showing a traveller’s COVID-19 status at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. It’s part of efforts by the global travel industry to make cross-border travel easier and safer and is one of several digital health passports… Read More »Tokyo airport trials CommonPass digital health passport
Akili has published data backing the efficacy of its childhood attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) video game therapy EndeavorRx in the peer-review journal Nature Digital Medicine. The results come from the STARS-Adjunct trial, an open-label study of EndeavorRx (AKL-T01) that supported approval of the app and… Read More »Akili’s gaming therapy improves attention in ADHD kids
There’s a new kid on the block among companies using artificial intelligence in drug discovery, after 1910 Genetics launched today with $26 million in financing. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based startup claims it is the only biotech launched so far that will use AI to design both… Read More »AI drug discovery player 1910 Genetics debuts with $26m war chest
In the year since the UK went into its first lockdown to limit the spread of COVID-19 the country’s health service has undergone an unprecedented digital transformation. The NHS quickly scrambled to reduce face-to-face contact between patients and healthcare professionals, and manage demand for services… Read More »Health tech and digital transformation lessons from the NHS
The world’s largest database of cancer mutations can now be used to link mutations with drug treatments in what promises to be a step forward in precision oncology. The COSMIC (Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer) database, operated by the Wellcome Sanger Institute, grew out… Read More »COSMIC database matches drugs to cancer mutations
UK medical imaging firm Feedback has continued its expansion of its digital communication platform Bleepa with a one-year contract with a large UK hospital. The UK’s National Health Service is trying to phase out use of outmoded technologies such as pagers and faxes. But there… Read More »Another UK hospital trials clinical comms platform Bleepa
This instalment of the podcast considers the meaning of digital innovation, both in pharma and outside the industry, and features digital transformation leader Edwin Erckens. Even though he is currently working in the HR services sector, Edwin started his career at P&G, moved to Heineken,… Read More »The meaning of digital innovation: the pharmaphorum podcast
“Gamification” – adding game-like elements into non-game or real-world settings – has become a popular concept in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, and event industries, especially as virtual engagement becomes more common during COVID-19. However, it is proving more than a mere buzzword. With diverse applications and… Read More »Gamification for patient care, medical education, and virtual engagement
England’s largest NHS Trust, Barts Health, is rolling out a new data analytics app that it says will improve patient care at its five London hospitals. The WeInform app will be used by more than 16,000 employees at the hospitals and various community units, including… Read More »Barts Health puts real-time mobile data into staff hands
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A host of companies are looking at cough apps to detect the presence of COVID-19. But one company called Hyfe wants to take the idea a step further and use them to detect future pandemics, reports Richard Staines. The pandemic has seen a plethora of… Read More »Could a smartphone cough app stop future pandemics?
A host of companies are looking at cough apps to detect the presence of COVID-19. But one company called Hyfe wants to take the idea a step further and use them to detect future pandemics, reports Richard Staines. The pandemic has seen a plethora of… Read More »Could a smartphone cough app stop future pandemics?
DeepVerge has announced trial data showing its COVID-19 Microtox BT breath test can deliver accurate results in under 60 seconds, with a potential roll-out later this year if further tests support it. The company has already completed of the system that resembles a breathalyser in… Read More »DeepVerge’s nanochip-based COVID breath test could be ready this year
DeepVerge has announced trial data showing its COVID-19 Microtox BT breath test can deliver accurate results in under 60 seconds, with a potential roll-out later this year if further tests support it. The company has already completed of the system that resembles a breathalyser in… Read More »DeepVerge’s nanochip-based COVID breath test could be ready this year
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of health data and how its availability in real time can reveal new insights and innovations that can improve health outcomes for patients. International deep real-world evidence company Savana is on a mission to give health researchers the… Read More »The rise of real-world evidence: unlocking the potential in EHRs
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of health data and how its availability in real time can reveal new insights and innovations that can improve health outcomes for patients. International deep real-world evidence company Savana is on a mission to give health researchers the… Read More »The rise of real-world evidence: unlocking the potential in EHRs
New biotech Antiverse has raised seed funding of £1.4 million ($2 million) to develop its artificial intelligence-based platform for discovering therapeutic antibodies. The Cardiff, Wales startup is combining machine learning and phage display techniques to model antibody-antigen binding and says it can cut the time… Read More »Welsh startup Antiverse raises $2m for antibody discovery toolkit
Sleep disturbances are a common feature for people with Parkinson’s disease, and a device developed to help people with insomnia is now being trialled to see if it can improve their sleep quality. The SleepHub device – developed by Barkby group company Cambridge Sleep Sciences… Read More »Cambridge Sleep Sciences’ device is trialled in Parkinson’s
If the power of the life sciences industry to innovate and collaborate were ever in doubt, the speed at which vaccines for COVID-19 were discovered, developed, trialled, approved and manufactured have confirmed just how dynamic the industry can be. And that dynamism, innovation and collaboration… Read More »Life sciences must become cloud-first to seize the science of tomorrow
Canada’s Valence Discovery has joined a University of Montreal-led project to try to find new drugs to treat the involuntary movement complications that can accompany treatments for Parkinson’s disease. The go-to treatment for the five million people worldwide with Parkinson’s is levodopa, which replaces the… Read More »AI drug discovery firm Valence joins Parkinson’s disease push
There is no clear evidence that the UK’s £37 billion NHS Test and Trace programme (NHST&T) has an impact on the pandemic, according to a withering report from an influential committee of MPs. In its report the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) noted that Department of… Read More »MPs slam £37bn NHS Test and Trace as UK endures third lockdown
With so many novel drug candidates for Alzheimer’s disease failing in clinical development, researchers in the US have started using artificial intelligence (AI) to screen already-approved therapies for activity against the neurodegenerative disorder. A team based at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School has… Read More »AI platform says Olumiant could be repurposed for Alzheimer’s
Nearly 70% of HCPs are now digital natives, with no interest in going back to pre-COVID sales engagement methods. To thrive in this environment, pharma needs to move from ad-hoc and reactionary digital transformation to long-term ‘digital excellence’, says Veeva’s Sebastien Noel. COVID has seen… Read More »Why pharma isn’t yet achieving digital excellence, and how it can get there
A smartphone app that uses artificial intelligence to assess the sound of coughing has been launched in the UK, and according to its developer could be an early warning system for COVID-19 and other diseases of the lung. Hyfe uses acoustic technology to track users’… Read More »COVID cough app Hyfe launches in UK and Ireland
European digital health firm Epillo is to launch a pilot digital therapeutics (DTx) project in a strategic partnership with US-based blockchain firm Hydrus7 Labs. Epillo’s technology is based around a patient-facing software apps that help patients treat, prevent, or manage the disease. The company said… Read More »Epillo to pilot blockchain-based DTx with Hydrus7
Reviv Global and partner V-Health Passport are backing their technology to allow the hospitality industry to reopen safely in resorts such as Las Vegas. V-Health Passport makes use of the Code technology from VST Enterprises and was launched with the backing of Zara and Mike… Read More »Reviv Global and V-Health hope digital passport will reopen Vegas
Radiologists in Europe could soon have help keeping children calm as they have MRI scans from Disney favourites like Micky Mouse, Winnie the Pooh and the Little Mermaid. Healthcare tech company Philips has teamed up with Walt Disney Corp to develop custom ambient animations –… Read More »Disney characters will lend a hand to kids during MRI scans
Numan has added to its digital health stable with the acquisition of Sweden’s Vi Health and its suite of tools including an artificial intelligence-powered symptom checker. UK-based Numan is in the process of building a digital health platform to provide access to medical professionals as… Read More »Numan buys Vi Health to add digital capabilities
Zebra Technologies healthcare lead Chris Sullivan discusses the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and how technology can streamline the process to combat new variants. While the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine has signified the first signs of light at the end of the tunnel, the reality is… Read More »How advanced technology can streamline the COVID-19 vaccine rollout
With COVID-19 forcing a shift towards decentralised trials, two digital health firms – Medable and Seqster – have teamed up to offer ways to also incorporate real-world data into remote study designs. Decentralised studies reduce or eliminate the need to travel to clinical sites, and… Read More »Medable, Seqster pair up on real-world data for remote trials
UCB and Microsoft have announced a multi-year strategic collaboration to advance the digitalisation of the Belgian pharma company and accelerate its research efforts. The companies have already been working together on the COVID Moonshot Project, which aimed to create an orally available antiviral to combat… Read More »UCB and Microsoft announce digital drug R&D tie-up
Healthcare organisations that have been traditionally slow to adopt new technology produced a response to the pandemic that was almost in line with less regulated industries, according to a new report. Findings of research from the cloud communications platform Twilio based on 2,500 enterprise decision… Read More »Healthcare’s digital transformation began within weeks of pandemic – report
Otsuka and Click Therapeutics are working with Verily, the healthcare subsidiary of Google owners Alphabet, on a fully remote clinical trial testing a digital therapy as an add-on in adults with severe depression. Otsuka is on a mission to develop digital technology to treat mental… Read More »Otsuka, Click trial digital depression therapy with Google
Close the Clinical Gap, Discover the Next Generation of Microbiome-based Therapeutics, and Establish New Partnerships to Accelerate Your Research The most comprehensive forum for microbiome drug developers, the Microbiome Movement – Drug Development Summit returns for its sixth iteration! We will continue to unite forward-thinking researchers from the… Read More »6th Microbiome Movement – Drug Development Summit
An online consultation app developed by Livi is already available for around five million patients in the UK via NHS practices, and is now starting to roll out in the UK’s private healthcare sector. In the latest move in that direction, Livi will now be… Read More »Livi expands reach for its online consultation app with BMI alliance
Alexandra Morehouse, chief marketing officer at Banner Health, spoke to MedCity News about how the 29-hospital system made changes to patients’ digital experience amid the Covid-19 pandemic and the types of technology that helped drive the changes.
Life sciences organizations can easily send customizable, templated text messages and digital assets without compromising compliance Arist, developers of an innovative enterprise-level text messaging platform for education, training and outreach, has announced that its technology has been optimized to better meet the needs of the… Read More »Arist Optimizes Text Messaging Platform for the Life Sciences Industry
Ashfield Engage has agreed a deal to incorporate Popit’s digital tools in its patient support programmes, with the aim of improving adherence to treatments. Finnish startup Popit has developed a device called Popit Sense that clips to a blister pill sheet and uses technology to… Read More »Ashfield turns to Popit for digital patient support tool
NHS Digital has tweaked its electronic referral system, to smoothen the process of making a hospital appointment. The e-Referral Service (e-RS) is used by primary care doctors to talk to and seek advice from secondary colleagues ahead of making a formal referral. e-RS is an… Read More »NHS Digital tweaks e-referral system to hospitals
Psychedelic medicine biotech MindMed is to acquire digital medicine and therapeutics startup HealthMode for around $32.2 million, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to speed up drug development. The move will also see ex-Pfizer digital medicine executive Dr Daniel Karlin join the MindMed executive team,… Read More »LSD biotech MindMed buys digital trial firm HealthMode
COVID-19 has already proved to be a digital accelerant for the pharmaceutical industry, sparking new ideas into life and lighting a fire underneath existing plans that had, in retrospect, yet to burn brightly. After a year in which the need for digital transformation in pharma… Read More »No cooling off for pharma digital transformation in 2021
Digital health firm Livi is planning to step up its digital campaign to encourage people to get their COVID-19 vaccines in the UK, with messaging designed to provide accurate information to patients and counter social media messages from anti-vaxxer groups. Through its MJog platform the… Read More »Livi fights anti-vaxxers with digital patient messaging campaign
Roche’s Italian subsidiary has joined forces with digital health startup PatchAi to roll out an app that aims to support people diagnosed with cancer. Roche and PatchAi have been working together on the Smart Health Companion (SHC), which was launched to oncology and haematology patients… Read More »Roche and PatchAi partner on digital tool for cancer patients
A news agency is claiming that North Korea launched a cyber-attack on Pfizer in a bid to steal information about its BioNTech-partnered COVID-19 vaccine, citing South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS). The Yonhap agency said the revelation was made during a closed-door meeting of the… Read More »North Korea ‘launched cyber-attack on Pfizer for COVID-19 jab data’
Medical charity Alzheimer’s Research UK has teamed up with artificial intelligence specialist Exscientia to find new drug treatments for the devastating neurodegenerative disease. The alliance will see Exscientia work with the charity’s Oxford Drug Discovery Institute (ODDI) to find therapeutics that target the neuroinflammation associated… Read More »Alzheimer’s Research UK starts AI-based drug hunt with Exscientia
Healthware Group has partnered with the National Cancer Institute of Naples in Italy to develop and roll out digital health platforms to support research and clinical practice in the treatment of people with cancer. The overall aim of the alliance – which will see Healthware… Read More »Healthware and Italian cancer institute partner on digital health drive
Healthcare intelligence provider Wilmington Healthcare has launched a new platform that enables pharma companies to develop a clear picture of formulary status across therapy areas and territories in the UK. Known as InFormulary XD, the solution uses a unique blend of data and real-world… Read More »Wilmington Healthcare launches new platform to map the formulary landscape
Orexo will start a new study of its modia app – used to treat people with opioid use disorder – to test how it performs in real-world settings. The Swedish drugmaker has teamed up with consultancy ApexB.io and pharmacy group Magellan Rx Management on the… Read More »Orexo eyes real-world testing of its modia opioid use disorder app
How can humans extend their life span? In the second episode of our Health Innovators series, Paul Tunnah speaks to longevity investor Sergey Young about breakthrough technologies that may overcome the negative effects of ageing. Through his $100m Longevity Vision Fund, Sergey invests in companies… Read More »Health Innovators: Sergey Young on how technology can extend human life
MedLumics has raised another €18 million (around $22 million) to fund clinical trials of its optically-guided imaging system used to guide a surgical procedure for atrial fibrillation (AF) – a serious heart condition that causes an irregular heartbeat. The Spanish biotech says the latest round… Read More »MedLumics raises €18 million for atrial fibrillation device
Improving the Safety, Efficacy & Predictability of Monotherapy & Combinatorial Therapies to Fast-track the Discovery & Development of TNBC Treatments to Reach Patients in Need This is the primary industry platform specifically dedicated to providing you insight into the latest developments of safe and efficacious… Read More »Triple Negative Breast Cancer Drug Development Digital Summit
Harness the Maternal-Infant Microbiome, Establish New Mechanisms of Action, and Develop Breakthrough Health Products that Proactively Prevent Disease Risk Returning for another year, the 3rd Microbiome Movement – Maternal & Infant Health Summit will unite industry and academics in the exploration of preventative and therapeutic… Read More »3rd Microbiome Movement – Maternal & Infant Health Summit
A new EU-funded project called In Silico World aims to encourage the use of simulation for drug and medical device development. The project is coordinated by the University of Bologna and funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme that involves more… Read More »EU-funded project encourages use of simulation in drug development
Medidata has launched Sensor Cloud, a platform to manage a range of sensor and digital health technology data during clinical trials. The New York-based company, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of French software firm Dassault Systemes, said the Sensor Cloud integrates Medidata’s existing clinical cloud… Read More »Medidata launches cloud platform to gather clinical trial data from sensors
The FDA has approved Signifier Medical Technologies’ prescription-only device eXciteOSA, which uses electrical muscle stimulation to treat obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). In a statement, the regulator said that unlike devices used while patients sleep, this is the first device used while awake that is intended… Read More »FDA approves Signifier’s obstructive sleep apnoea device
The digital triage platform eConsult that is widely used by NHS GP practices has closed a £7 million funding ($9.6 million) round to expand the service. This latest funding round led by Calculus Capital follows the £5 million from equity investor Gresham Health in October… Read More »eConsult gets further £7m to expand NHS digital triage platform
A white paper has outlined a pathway that could allow Italy to realise the potential of digital therapeutics (DTx). The official journal of the Smith Kline Foundation, Tendenze Nuove, has published the paper entitled “Digital Therapeutics, an Opportunity for Italy” earlier this month. The book… Read More »White paper reveals pathway for digital therapeutics use in Italy
Kaia Health is adding to its offering for patients with musculoskeletal (MSK) pain via a partnership with Premium Partners to create a “front door” for patients in the US. The Kaia Gateway is accessed via Kaia Health’s existing MSK programme. Pain management is a controversial… Read More »Kaia Health creates new ‘front door’ for MSK pain services
This is the title of a paper published today with co-authors Suepattra May, Caroline Huber, Meaghan Roach, Wade Aubry, Darius Lakdawalla, John Kane, and Felicia Forma. The subtitle is “Qualitative Case Study of Glucose Monitoring Technology“. The abstract is below. Background: Evaluation of patients with… Read More »Adoption of Digital Health Technologies in the Practice of Behavioral Health
France’s SurgAR has joined with imaging data firm Medexprim to form a three-year partnership with a major hospital in France, to develop augmented reality (AR) software dedicated to laporoscopic surgery. The University Hospital Centre of Clermont-Ferrand has been ranked in the top 20 French hospitals… Read More »SurgAR and Medexprim start surgical AR partnership with French hospital
Mental health and wellness platform Modern Health has bought the San Francisco-based mental health startup Kip for an undisclosed sum. Founded in 2015, Kip connects users with qualified therapists and arms them with the tools to track observations, feedback, and outcomes about their mental health… Read More »Modern Health buys mental health startup Kip
It’s well recognised that people with psoriasis can develop depression or anxiety, particularly in moderate or severe cases where a sizeable part of the body can have skin lesions. Now, drugmaker Almirall and digital health firm Happify are working on a tool to support mental… Read More »Almirall, Happify partner on digital tool for psoriasis mental health
Four million UK patients could benefit annually from genetic testing before being prescribed common medicines, according to new research. Researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in collaboration with Boots UK and Leiden University analysed 2019 NHS dispensing data across the UK The goal… Read More »Genetic screening before prescribing could benefit millions, study finds
Four million UK patients could benefit annually from genetic testing before being prescribed common medicines, according to new research. Researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in collaboration with Boots UK and Leiden University analysed 2019 NHS dispensing data across the UK The goal… Read More »Genetic screening before prescribing could benefit millions, study finds
The future of life sciences CRM will be defined by rapid digital transformation and a focus on customer experience – and those who stick to old ways of working will be left in the dust, according to new research from Gartner. Gartner’s’ CRM market guide… Read More »COVID drives a customer experience shift in life sciences CRM
The future of life sciences CRM will be defined by rapid digital transformation and a focus on customer experience – and those who stick to old ways of working will be left in the dust, according to new research from Gartner. Gartner’s’ CRM market guide… Read More »COVID drives a customer experience shift in life sciences CRM
New findings from a digital study have challenged the belief that stress is a significant factor in triggering migraine attacks. Results came from a study by the digital health firm Curelator and the University of Calgary, who found that only 7.1% of patients had a… Read More »Stress not a significant factor in migraine attacks, study finds
“A new medical affairs communication model is emerging that provides greater collaboration and stakeholder engagement” I am a clinical pharmacist by training, but my interest lies in drug information. I found out about medical communications when working in the Drug Information Center at the Medical… Read More »What does the future hold for Medical Affairs?
San Francisco’s NeuraMetrix has joined with US contract research organisation (CRO) bioaccess to research and market a brain health monitoring tool based on typing cadence in Latin America. This latest announcement builds on a partnership announced in summer 2019 with N-Strategy Consulting Services to expand… Read More »NeuraMetrix joins with bioaccess to market brain health tool in Latin America
From telehealth to digital trials, customer engagement to healthcare data, Healthware Group outlines the key trends that are expected to shake up digital health this year. Well, it goes without saying, COVID-19 has resulted in a rapid adoption of digital technologies across all industries, most… Read More »What we’re expecting in 2021, and beyond…
Novartis has said that its investment in digital technology has helped it to ride out the worst of the pandemic, although sales of some of its newly-launched products have been affected by a fall in prescriptions and hospital visits. The big Swiss pharma still managed… Read More »Novartis hails digital strategy as profits hold up during pandemic
President Joe Biden looks likely to ditch the previous administration’s move to create a quicker route to market for digital health products and other devices following the pandemic emergency. After he took office on Wednesday, Biden quickly moved to freeze a raft of Trump policies,… Read More »Biden likely to ditch Trump’s plans to relax digital health regulations
It’s evident that relying on Google for a health diagnosis isn’t a good idea, but it seems a majority of UK people still do – and even buy medicines based on what they find. A new UK survey finds that overall 59% of 1,000 respondents… Read More »Nearly half of UK young people buy meds after consulting “Dr Google”
Between them, Royal Philips and Thermo Fisher have been driving a mini M&A spree in the medical technology sector, snapping up three companies in the last few weeks. Dutch electronics giant Philips’ latest move is to acquire Capsule Technologies, which provides software to link data… Read More »Philips makes another digital buy, as Thermo adds COVID-19 test maker
86% of respondents to a recent Veeva survey of pharma and biotech professionals said they are creating a greater volume of content now, compared to six months ago. Yet while many pharma companies are creating more content than ever before, they also face increased pressure… Read More »Plugging modular content into pharma’s omnichannel strategies
One in 11 adults aged over 65 have reported a lack of willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a US-based survey. The findings are concerning given that adults in this group are at highest risk for complications from the disease. Findings from part… Read More »One in 11 over-65s unwilling to take COVID-19 shot
Digital cancer care platform Careology has joined forces with RedArc, which provides long-term support for people with serious illnesses. RedArc has a team of registered nurses that provide support and expert advice by phone to people after referral from insurers, trade unions and groups such… Read More »Careology joins forces with remote care support firm RedArc
ViiV Healthcare and London’s Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust have launched a digital triage service for HIV patients supported by a mobile app. ViiV, a joint venture majority owned by GlaxoSmithKline, with Pfizer and Shionogi as minority shareholders, has been working with Chelsea and Westminster… Read More »ViiV launches digital triage service for HIV patients with London hospital
A new survey highlights the importance of customer reference data to digital transformation and analyses ways pharma companies can improve the quality of their datasets. In a remote world, customer data is more foundational than ever, and Veeva’s 2020 European Customer Reference Data Survey found… Read More »Pharma digital transformation: customer data expected to play a pivotal role
Karina Malhotra from Acumentice explores how digital tech and data could help address the NHS elective care backlog in 2021 and beyond. The repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic are going to take a considerable time to repair and nowhere is this more pertinent than in… Read More »The elective care conundrum – can digital innovation help?
Developers of digital health tools have benefited from a truncated route to market during the COVID-19 crisis, and that could be made permanent if new FDA guidance is adopted. Pandemic emergency provisions were put in place in March last year to allow certain medical devices… Read More »US eyes permanent change to digital health regulatory path
Belgian drugmaker UCB has been steadily building its digital health expertise for several years, and that includes nurturing new projects. One of those is now being launched as a new company – Nile AI – that aims to improve the care of people with epilepsy.… Read More »UCB backs epilepsy-focused digital heath startup Nile AI
Healthcare technology firm Seqster has introduced a new version of its service that aims to help pharma companies work with patients’ data while on virtual clinical trials. Seqster announced the new version of its platform had been launched on the Microsoft Azure cloud at the… Read More »Seqster launches new cloud version of virtual trial data tool
W20 has begun 2021 by buying data technology firms Swoop and IPM.ai, adding to its rapidly growing list of acquisitions. Representing the ninth acquisition for W2O in just over a year, the company said the acquisitions show its commitment to technology and the role it… Read More »W20 acquires data technology firms Swoop and IPM.ai
Hackers posted stolen confidential information about Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine online, the European Medicines Agency has said in an update. The EMA last month revealed that documents relating to the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine were stolen in a cyber-attack on its records. Since then the agency has been… Read More »Hackers posted stolen COVID-19 vaccine info online, says EU regulator
Israeli company Itamar Medical has agreed to acquire Spry Health, aiming to use the US company’s wearable technology to develop a watch-like remote monitor for sleep apnoea, a potentially life-threatening condition. Itamar already markets a sensing device called WatchPAT that attaches to the finger during… Read More »Itamar buys Spry to add wearable to its sleep apnoea detectors
European telehealth firm HealthHero has bought MyClinic.ie, a rival based in the Republic of Ireland. Already a major telehealth player in Europe, HealthHero’s services cover 20 million people and 1,000 businesses across Europe. The acquisition means HealthHero has a direct-to-consumer offer in Ireland, where it… Read More »European telehealth firm HealthHero buys MyClinic.ie
2020 was the year that changed everything, and as the new year begins many are wondering what awaits the world in 2021. Impetus Digital co-founder and CEO Natalie Yeadon reflects on the last 12 months and shares her views on the healthcare, research and digital… Read More »2021 – The healthcare changes here to stay
With the ink barely dry on its last merger agreement, clinical trial and imaging specialist Bioclinica is on an expansive drive once again, buying digital clinical trial specialist Saliency. Silicon Valley-based Saliency adds an artificial intelligence (AI) powered software platform that speeds up analysis of… Read More »Bioclinica boosts digital trial credentials with Saliency buy
Six months after rebranding from BHE, Panalgo has won a contract to supply the European Medicines Agency (EMA) with its IHD data analytics platform, pledging to streamline its public health efforts. IHD – or Instant Health Data – will be used by the EMA to… Read More »EMA will use Panalgo software for real-world data analytics
ImaginAb has signed a deal with Pfizer, which it hopes will help it to gather information necessary for approval of its tumour imaging agent as a medical device in markets in the US and other countries. The California-based company has signed a non-exclusive license with… Read More »Pfizer deal paves way for approval of ImaginAb’s cancer imaging tech
The UK government agency NHS Digital has awarded an £8m digital system that processes coronavirus test results to healthcare software specialist X-Lab without competition. According to a tender document, the “extreme urgency brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic situation” justified the decision not to open… Read More »NHS Digital awards £8m COVID record contract to X-lab
Private medical insurance company Further Group has ramped up its presence in digital healthcare by merging with Trustedoctor, a startup that puts patients in contact with medical professionals. Further – which was rebranded from BDU International last year – specialises in providing cross-border health insurance… Read More »Further, Trustedoctor merge to provide ‘borderless’ healthcare
Haven, the healthcare venture launched by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan Chase is to cease trading next month after failing to achieve its goal of pushing down health insurance costs for US workers. The joint venture had been billed by many as Amazon’s big… Read More »Amazon’s health venture Haven to cease trading
The pandemic has shed light on inefficiencies in healthcare systems, and provided an opportunity to adjust how we manage care in the future. Jennifer Haas, executive vice president of Noteworth, shares her 2021 predictions surrounding the future of telehealth and big data. Healthcare providers are… Read More »How Big Data will accelerate the future of digital medicine in 2021
There are hopes that a new app based on blockchain technology will allow safe international travel via Singapore’s Changi Airport, which verifies passengers’ COVID-19 status before boarding planes. Developed by health and security provider International SOS and AOKPass, the app was first used to provide… Read More »Blockchain app used to ensure passenger safety during pandemic
A serotonin sensor designed using Artificial Intelligence (AI) could help scientists study sleep and mental health and potentially find new neurology drugs. The US National Institutes of Health said that the research it had co-funded used AI to transform a bacterial protein into a new… Read More »AI-designed serotonin tracker could help develop neurology drugs
Reviewing 2019’s key digital health stories last year I suggested that, while big strides continued to be made, any definitive ‘coming of age’ moment for the sector was unlikely. But that was before the first reports emerged of a highly contagious coronavirus and 2020 will… Read More »5 ways digital health, and digital pharma, changed in 2020
Verily is planning “significant and focused growth” in 2021 after closing a $700 million funding round from investors including its parent company, and Google holding firm, Alphabet. The capital injection will support wide-ranging plans for the new year that include several life sciences programmes in… Read More »Google’s Verily eyes 2021 growth after £700m funding round
The UK government is funding a network of three centres that will use digital technology to train the next generation of scientists specialising in advanced therapies. The National Horizons Centre, RoslinCT and the University of Birmingham have been selected as preferred bidders to deliver high… Read More »UK funds digital training centre for advanced therapy skills
More than 1,000 NHS patients have booked flu vaccinations using a virtual assistant as part of a pilot project in the south east of England. The pilot project, run in collaboration with GP practices in Buckinghamshire, Brent, and Greenwich, involved patients using the Ask NHS… Read More »NHS pilots virtual assistant for flu jab bookings
Researchers in the UK have developed a chatbot-enabled website that can train people to detect and counter misinformation on COVID-19 and other topics, using techniques from some of philosophy’s greatest critical thinkers. Earlier this year, the World Health organisation (WHO) said the world was dealing… Read More »Would you fall for COVID misinformation? Chatbot can help you find out
Tik Tok is unlikely to spring to mind as a source of reliable information about complex issues, but scientists are using it to fly the flag for COVID-19 vaccines and other health topics. The social media platform, which allows users to share short and often… Read More »Scientists and medics turn to TikTok to reassure public on vaccine safety
Experts from Healthware Group explore how companies can rebuild their approach to digital from the ground up for the benefit of patients. Digital is not just a nice-to-have for pharma companies – it’s a necessity for ensuring that patients have the best possible outcomes in… Read More »How pharma needs to change for the era of digital health
Apps that patients can use to report symptoms and seek advice on treatment are highly variable in their accuracy, but some come close to matching GPs, says a new study. The peer-reviewed study – published in the journal BMJ Open – compared eight of the… Read More »Study finds big differences between top symptom checker apps
The pharma industry has been making great strides forward in digital health, but one element of that – gamification – hasn’t yet made much headway in the sector. Armed with new data from a randomised clinical trial, one company is hoping to change that mindset.… Read More »Pharma still reluctant to back gamification for health; interview
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) says it suffered a cyberattack, with documents relating to a Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine accessed. In a terse statement, the EU regulator confirmed its security had been breached and said it had launched an investigation with law enforcement, but… Read More »Cyberattack targets EMA, hacks COVID-19 vaccine data
UK digital health firm Sensyne has secured access to millions more anonymised patent records via an alliance with US clinical trial data specialist Phesi. The new agreement comes after a string of access deals with NHS trusts for patient data, and coincides with a bid… Read More »Sensyne launches fundraising, agrees patient data deal with Phesi
UK digital health firm Sensyne has secured access to millions more anonymised patent records via an alliance with US clinical trial data specialist Phesi. The new agreement comes after a string of access deals with NHS trusts for patient data, and coincides with a bid… Read More »Sensyne launches fundraising, agrees patient data deal with Phesi
Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge will be the first in the world to use an artificial intelligence tool developed by Microsoft that promises to cut the time it takes to analyse computed tomography (CT) scans, and allow treatment to start sooner. The Project InnerEye tool was… Read More »UK hospital deploys Microsoft AI to tackle cancer backlog
Novartis has signed a multi-year agreement with RetinAI, which will see the companies work together to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support ophthalmology and digital health projects. Both companies have already worked on pilot projects in this area. The first project under a new… Read More »Novartis signs ophthalmology AI deal with RetinAI
AbCellera Biologics has been in the spotlight since coming up with Eli Lilly’s COVID-19 antibody drug bamlanivimab, and looks set to capitalise on that exposure with a sizeable initial public offering. The Vancouver, Canada-headquartered biotech – which has been bankrolled in part by billionaire entrepreneur… Read More »AI drug discovery biotech AbCellera eyes record IPO
Israel’s specialist venture capital firm, Olive Tree Ventures (OTV) has closed a fund worth $170 million, with plans to expand its portfolio of digital health firms. OTV is the only VC in Israel whose main focus is digital health, specialising in supporting portfolio companies reaching… Read More »Olive Tree Ventures closes $170m dedicated digital health fund
Why do some computer gamers invert their Y axis controller, so up means down? Answering that question may provide insights into visual perception and cognition with broad ramifications, including in medicine, according to researchers. In the virtual word of gaming, most players push their controller… Read More »To invert or not? Gamers don’t agree, and scientists want to know why
A heart monitor developed by iRhythm has become the first product to be endorsed by NICE in a pilot project covering digital health technologies. In new guidance, the health technology assessment (HTA) agency has recommended iRhythm’s Zio XT service for detecting abnormal heart rhythms –… Read More »iRhythm digital heart monitoring service backed by NICE
French tech company Kayentis has raised €7 million in private funding that will be invested in its digital platform for clinical trials. The Grenoble-based company operates in the electronic Clinical Outcome Assessment (eCOA) market, which covers areas like patient and clinician reported outcomes, automatic remote… Read More »Kayentis raises €7m for its digital trial engagement platform
Not too long ago virtual reality (VR) tech might have seemed like a dream, but now it’s being harnessed by the healthcare industry for a wide variety of purposes, and during COVID-19 has helped educate physicians when real-world training isn’t feasible Commercial VR is still… Read More »VR, COVID and ensuring safety with cutting-edge tech
Healthcare agency, consultancy and digital health group Healthware Group has acquired Finland-based digital service development and creative agency Make Helsinki. The acquisition builds on prior collaborations between the two organisations, including in best-in-class full-service agency offerings, digital transformation, technology/enterprise solutions and corporate venturing. The move… Read More »Healthware Group buys Finnish digital agency Make Helsinki
For so long the US healthcare system was built around the provider, with appointments and services set by the provider (along with insurance reimbursement systems). This structure relies on in-person visits of patients to operate and become profitable. But when the industry suddenly shifted due… Read More »Healthcare that no longer leaves out the patient
We speak to finalists from the Greater Manchester Future of Health accelerator to find out how digital start-ups can overcome the challenges small companies face in bringing their technologies into the NHS. Right now the NHS is embracing digital to an extent no one could… Read More »Navigating the NHS as a digital start-up
UK artificial intelligence startup Okra Technologies has launched a new software platform that it claims can take the guesswork out of the price that can be charged for new drugs, years ahead of launch. The AI system – called ValueScope – can predict the price… Read More »Okra says AI-based drug price predictor is 90% accurate
The US government has introduced a scheme to allow hospitals to reduce the number of inpatients they see through a telehealth platform that would helps deliver acute care at home. The move comes as the number of new cases of COVID-19 have been climbing to… Read More »As COVID-19 cases swell, US extends telehealth to acute care
BioNTech may be deeply ensconced in the latter stages of its bid to bring a COVID-19 vaccine to market, but it’s still pushing forward on other fronts, including a partnership with InstaDeep to deploy artificial intelligence and machine learning across its business. The two companies… Read More »BioNTech, InstaDeep plan joint lab for AI research
Former chief digital officer for the NHS, Juliet Bauer, is now applying her experience to the private sector through video consultation firm Livi. She shares her thoughts on how well the NHS is integrating digital health and what the public and private sectors can do… Read More »A pivotal moment for digital health adoption
An artificial intelligence tool developed by GE Healthcare twinned with a mobile X-ray device can help the placement of endotracheal tubes (ETTs), a necessary step for COVID-19 patients who require ventilation. The new tool – part of GE’s Critical Care Suite 2.0 – helps bedside… Read More »GE Healthcare’s AI tool helps clinicians intubate patients accurately and safely
A merger involving two US digital health specialists and a blank cheque company has created a telemedicine player, called UpHealth, that is valued at more than $1.3 billion. The three-way deal combines UpHealth – which provides patient care management, telemedicine and digital pharmacy services and… Read More »Digital health player UpHealth swells with three-way merger
German digital health company smartpatient is adding a new section of its MyTherapy app providing information on wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness. The Munich-based company is launching the educational See What’s Next app in collaboration with Novartis, which sells the… Read More »Novartis taps smartpatient for app to support wet AMD patients
COVID-19 has turned the world on its head and healthcare systems have had to respond rapidly to match the sudden changes created by lockdown. Digital health had already been building a presence before the pandemic, but the tools it offers have been essential to counter… Read More »What will the digital health ecosystem look like post-COVID?
A Greek health insurance firm has released a new platform to encourage members to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Generali Hellas is the sixth largest insurance company in Greece and has had a presence there since 1886. With its new platform, My Health IQ, the company… Read More »Greek health insurer partners with dacadoo to launch health app
Research Partnership’s Vicki Newlove explores research into digital change during COVID-19 to find out what business questions pharma needs to address to succeed with innovations. Pharma companies are facing a confusing and uncertain future, and no one can say how the industry might look in… Read More »3 innovations booming during COVID and how to adopt them successfully
Bayer has provided funding to five more digital health start-ups as part of its G4A partnering programme, which has already provided backing for more than 150 companies since 2013. The latest crop of recipients in the G4A scheme were selected from more than 400 applications… Read More »Bayer provides funding to five more digital health start-ups
UK biotech Closed Loop Medicine (CLM) has started recruiting patients into a trial that will test whether a drug linked to a smartphone app can improve treatment for hypertension. The new study is specifically designed to include patients shielding from COVID-19, to see how well… Read More »CLM tests drug plus digital combo for high blood pressure
The healthcare system is running at its limits in many countries worldwide. One reason is the growing demand for healthcare, largely driven by the rise of chronic diseases. COVID-19 has further underscored just how stretched the system is today. Is there any solution to the… Read More »Digital therapeutics: Why human psychology is key to adoption
Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in the UK are working on software to monitor the genome of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in the hope of spotting changes that could affect the fight against COVID-19. Backed by £12.2 million in UK government funding, Wellcome Sanger and the… Read More »UK groups get £12m funding for COVID-19 monitoring software
The US healthcare system’s focus on activity rather than value for money was behind the demise of Proteus Digital Health and its “digital pill”, which measured whether schizophrenia patients took their meds, according to the company’s former CEO. At the Frontiers Health conference Andrew Thompson… Read More »Former CEO of Proteus reflects on the dramatic fall of ‘digital pill’ unicorn
Shots: Qiagen has initiated the commercialization of the portable digital QIAreach SARS-CoV-2 antigen test in the US that can be used by laboratories to detect active infections in 2-15mins. The test provides a higher throughput testing for SARS-CoV-2 antigen by processing up to 8 tests/… Read More »Qiagen Launches Portable Digital SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Test in the US
US data analysis company Palantir Technologies could be drafted in to manage the UK government’s troubled COVID-19 Test and Trace programme, according to press reports. Palantir has been linked with the project for several weeks and the Financial Times is the latest to suggest that… Read More »Controversial US data firm Palantir could manage UK’s ailing Test and Trace scheme
It’s day two of digital health innovation conference Frontiers Health, which will be mainly held online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year Frontiers will be a global Hybrid conference. In line with the “new normal” situation, the format of the 2020 edition will be hybrid combining online global streaming together with offline events and… Read More »Frontiers Health 2020 day two
Finnish startup Popit has joined with Spain’s Almirall to produce an app that tracks whether patients have taken their psoriasis medicine and sends them a reminder if they miss a dose. Popit’s technology, which is available in the Netherlands, is clinically validated to reduce the… Read More »Popit and Almirall’s new app tracks adherence to psoriasis med
Finnish startup Popit has joined with Spain’s Almirall to produce an app that tracks whether patients have taken their psoriasis medicine and sends them a reminder if they miss a dose. Popit’s technology, which is available in the Netherlands, is clinically validated to reduce the… Read More »Popit and Almirall’s new app tracks adherence to psoriasis med
2020 might go down as the year digital health truly began to boom – but to continue thriving, health tech start-ups will need a strong support network and an environment that fosters innovation. With advanced tech becoming ubiquitous, healthcare stakeholders finally embracing digital, and patients… Read More »Building the infrastructure for successful digital health start-ups
Digital health innovation conference Frontiers Health kicks off its 2020 edition this week, although the majority of the conference will be held online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, Frontiers will be a global Hybrid conference. In line with the “new normal” situation, the… Read More »Frontiers Health 2020 day one
In the first episode of our Health Innovators series, Paul Tunnah speaks to David Van Sickle, CEO of Propeller Health about how digital technologies are revolutionising the field of respiratory medicine. The post Health Innovators: David Van Sickle on digital innovation in respiratory medicine appeared… Read More »Health Innovators: David Van Sickle on digital innovation in respiratory medicine
Abid Rahman from Intouch Group tells pharmaphorum how AI-based technology is solving challenges across healthcare systems, pharmaceutical companies, and patient treatment. With AI already the key engine for a growing list of consumer devices, the trend has created exciting opportunities for pharma and healthcare. “We… Read More »AI implementation for pharma and healthcare
When Chris Cooper of EPG Health launched his ‘European Prescriber Guide’ software twenty years ago, he was among a select few taking digital in pharma seriously. Since then he has seen the industry slowly come to embrace every aspect of digital. He tells pharmaphorum how… Read More »Two decades of digital: the changing habits of pharma and HCPs
Drug discovery firm Exscientia has beefed up its leadership team with the appointment of former AstraZeneca scientist Dr Garry Pairaudeau as its chief technology officer. Pairaudeau – who will report directly to Exscientia chief executive Prof Andrew Hopkins – has been at AZ for 25… Read More »AZ drug hunter Garry Pairaudeau joins AI specialist Exscientia
Digital therapeutics are gaining momentum worldwide and offer developers, including pharma, both a huge opportunity and a stimulating market access challenge, say Olaf Schoeman and Emanuele Arcà. The last 12 months have shone a spotlight on digital transformation in Europe’s healthcare systems, with all the… Read More »Germany’s digital health changes will boost digital therapeutics in Europe
DigitalHealth.London has announced the latest 20 small and medium sized businesses selected for its digital accelerator programme. The programme selects digital solutions or services with the highest potential to meet the city’s health and social care challenges. This the fifth year the event has been… Read More »London’s digital health accelerator programme selects 20 new projects
It’s time for pharma to take a 360-degree view of its clinical trial data and step into the future with near real-time trial management. The pharmaceutical industry faces an important inflection point in its approach to clinical trials and it’s one that COVID-19 has thrown… Read More »A new dawn for clinical trial management
There isn’t enough evidence to suggest that digital therapies for people with opioid use disorder (OUD) can improve on standard interventions, according to the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review. The US cost-effectiveness watchdog has concluded in an evidence report that none of three digital… Read More »Digital therapies for opioid use disorder need more data, says ICER
Ahead of Frontiers Health 2020, steering committee members Roberto Ascione and Paul Tunnah from Healthware give us their thoughts on the trends driving the bright future of digital health. It might be easy to think of pharma and healthcare as conservative industries, but the reality… Read More »The key elements driving the success of digital health
Eli Lilly’s chief information and digital officer (CIDO) Aarti Shah is leaving the company next year after 27 years at the company. Shah is retiring from a role that only became part of the drugmaker’s executive committee in 2017, reflecting the relatively late acknowledgement of… Read More »Lilly’s chief digital officer Aarti Shah announces retirement
Talking Medicines has raised £1.1 million ($1.4 million) in funding that will be used to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) data platform that can be used by pharma companies to gain insights into how patients perceive them. The Glasgow-based company – which is behind the… Read More »Talking Medicines gets funding to expand AI-based “patient voice” platform
An implantable neurostimulation migraine device from Salvia BioElectronics has gained Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA. Traditional neurostimulation systems are not designed to be compatible with the anatomy of the head, so Netherlands-based Salvia has developed flexible bioelectronic foils (pictured) that could be inserted below… Read More »Salvia’s migraine implant could be breakthrough, says FDA
It could be possible to detect whether someone has COVID-19 or not, just from the sound of their coughing. That’s the conclusion of testing of an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which was able to detect around 98%… Read More »Does my cough sound like COVID? There could be an app for that
More competition than ever before The pharmaceutical industry has long relied on congresses to build relationships with customers and to showcase the latest data and information on new additions to the pipeline. However, COVID-19 has changed the congress experience significantly. Social distancing and travel restrictions… Read More »How to make an impact at a virtual congress
The pharmaceutical industry has sometimes been a laggard in terms of digital maturity, but the COVID-19 crisis has provided companies the impetus to rapidly implement the most cutting-edge technologies. At the heart of most of these digital advancements is AI and machine learning. With a… Read More »AI’s infiltration of pharma: How COVID-19 accelerated change
The UK drugs regulator has awarded a £1.5 million tender to a software company for an artificial intelligence tool that will be used to process “the expected high volume of COVID-19 vaccine adverse drug reactions (ADRs).” The tender awarded to Maidenhead, Berkshire-based GenPact UK aims… Read More »MHRA looks to AI to hunt for COVID-19 vaccine side effects
Most of the digital health experts we spoke to for this issue of Deep Dive made one thing clear – no one can really say what the future holds for digital tech in the pharma and healthcare industries. But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing… Read More »Deep Dive: Digital Health Innovation 2020
Takeda has partnered with patient data firm Seqster in a drive to improve care through better access and understanding of patient-level data. The partnership follows Takeda’s investment in the US startup earlier this year. The pharma firm said it wants to leverage the company’s technology… Read More »Takeda to partner on patient-centric data with Seqster
insitro has landed another big biopharma partnership, signing a five-year collaboration with Bristol Myers Sqibb to develop therapies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Neurodegenerative disorders such as ALS and FTD are considered a challenging therapeutic area, with no disease modifying treatments… Read More »BMS joins forces with insitro to develop neurodegenerative treatments
Gamified digital therapeutics firm Sidekick Health has raised $20 million in a Series A funding round, which it plans to use to develop its product offering. Based in Iceland, Sidekick said the oversubscribed funding round was led by Wellington Partners and Asabys Partners through its… Read More »Sidekick Health raises $20m to fund digital therapeutics expansion
WebMD Health Corp. is acquiring coliquio, a digital medical information company for German-speaking health professionals. Coliquio is used by doctors to share educational content and will be added to WebMD’s flagship brand, Medscape. WebMD Health Corp is one of the largest providers of online health… Read More »WebMD buys German health information company coliquio
Analysing real-world health data could help overcome the bias towards men in traditional medical research, says Sensyne Health’s Dr Lucy Mackillop. Collecting and analysing anonymised patient data has the potential to generate valuable insights that can catalyse research, lead to improved patient care, and power… Read More »What can we learn from women’s health data?
Sensyne Health has signed a five-year non-exclusive Strategic Research Agreement (SRA) with Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (MKUH). The non-exclusive agreement will apply Sensyne’s artificial intelligence technology to anonymised patient data for research into new medicines. MKUH is organised into four clinical divisions… Read More »NHS strikes another deal with clinical AI company Sensyne Health
Given the recent rise in digital engagement and the drastic increase in digital content, it’s now essential that pharmaceutical companies have a comprehensive content strategy. A foundational step in this process is to implement an integrated solution for digital asset management (DAM) and medical, legal… Read More »10 Tips for Digital Asset Management Success
Novartis is opening a new digital health innovation hub in Canada to help develop “scalable, digital solutions” for patients and healthcare providers. The Canadian Biome Digital Innovation Hub will be based in Montreal at the artificial intelligence research institute, Mila. The institute formed a strategic… Read More »Novartis launches digital health hub in Canada
Akili has new data from its childhood hyperactivity therapeutic video game EndeavorRx, as the company builds a case for the technology with longer-term trial data. The company announced several new data readouts, including outcomes data from the STARS-Adjunct trial, a multi-site open-label study testing EndeavorRx… Read More »Akili presents new real-world data from therapeutic ADHD video game
Scientists say on-skin printing could be used to create on-body sensors to monitor physiological signals and devices to wirelessly transmit the data. A team led by Huanyu Cheng from Penn State University, say the sensors are capable of precisely and continuously capturing temperature, humidity, blood… Read More »On-skin printing of sensors could monitor COVID-19 symptoms
Huge demand for ventilators and patient monitors spurred third quarter sales for Royal Philips, the company announced. The Dutch health technology group reported sales of €4.98bn, a 10% year-over-year growth. The connected care business, which includes patient monitors and ventilators saw the biggest rise, increasing… Read More »COVID-19 ventilator demand fuels Philips Q3 sales
As part of our series of opinion pieces from leaders at Janssen, the company’s Maria Raad looks at how we can embrace tech and data science to overcome increasing pressures on healthcare systems. For the next generation born in the western world, living to be… Read More »How real human experiences can power a healthier future
Regular fliers are used to long queues to clear security – but a rigorous COVID-19 testing regime could be added to pre-flight checks backed by a digital “health passport” to prove passengers are free from the coronavirus. The UK is the latest country to test… Read More »UK trials digital ‘health passport’ to help borders reopen
In the age of artificial intelligence, no trial data should be going to waste. Findacure’s Rick Thompson looks at how these technologies could bring us closer to treatments for underserved rare diseases. The repurposing of drugs is becoming more common, especially in the field of… Read More »Rare diseases, repurposing and the role of AI
Patients with heart failure often have a dismal prognosis as the condition usually worsens over time, but a new study aims to see if digital health technologies can improve their prospects. The trial – run by Boehringer Ingelheim and Yale University – will test a… Read More »Boehringer, Yale trial digital tech in heart failure
Astellas Pharma is to buy bioelectronic medical devices firm iota Biosciences in a deal worth up to $429m, building on a previous research partnership. In August last year the companies began a joint research and development agreement based around iota’s bioelectronic devices in several indications.… Read More »Astellas doubles down on partnership and buys bioelectronics firm iota
The boom in digital tech over COVID means that pharma can move faster than ever – but the industry’s traditional processes for asset approval are still holding timelines back. David Reily examines how pharma companies are responding to the increased burden of asset approval with… Read More »Accelerating the digital approval process
US startup Blue Oak Pharma has joined a lengthening list of companies turning to Exscientia of the UK for its expertise in applying artificial intelligence to drug discovery. Waltham, Massachusetts-based Blue Oak – led by neurobiologist and former Eli Lilly and Sunovion executive Tom Large… Read More »Blue Oak taps AI specialist Exscientia for CNS drug discovery
Equity investor Gresham House has invested £5m into the NHS’s digital triage provider eConsult Health, allowing the service to expand to meet demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. eConsult provides online consultation services to NHS primary care organisations and will use the investment to maintain its… Read More »NHS digital triage provider to expand with £5m investment
Relationships are built over time. However, with the inability to meet face-to-face, many life sciences commercial teams are left wondering what to do next. Unfortunately, we have been truly disrupted – not only in our work environment, but in what our customers, healthcare providers (HCPs)… Read More »Breaking through the Digital Noise: Creating HCP Content that Stands Out
A few months into the pandemic, the world is now moving beyond managing the crisis, with more focus on addressing the collateral damages and shaping the future. As part of a new series looking at how pharma has responded to the pandemic, Neale Belson, SVP… Read More »Pharma’s response to COVID: GSK
UK-based RHYTHM AI is to go ahead with a larger clinical trial of its artificial intelligence (AI)-driven system, which could be used as a treatment for atrial fibrillation without the need for medication. Antiarrhythmic drugs are standard therapy but they often only work for around… Read More »RHYTHM AI cleared for large trial of atrial fibrillation mapping tool
Japan’s Toppan Printing and MIT spin-off FIGUR8 have announced results of a pilot scheme testing a remote physical training guidance scheme that uses musculoskeletal sensors to collect data on movement. The companies have been collaborating since February this year on services that use data on… Read More »Toppan and FIGUR8 press on with remote physical training guidance pilot
Japan’s Toppan Printing and MIT spin-off FIGUR8 have announced results of a pilot scheme testing a remote physical training guidance scheme that uses musculoskeletal sensors to collect data on movement. The companies have been collaborating since February this year on services that use data on… Read More »Toppan and FIGUR8 press on with remote physical training guidance pilot
OPEN Health’s Beth Lesher and Annemarie Clegg examine what the convergence of medical communications and market access means for pharmaceutical companies. Value in healthcare is a continually changing concept. As the needs of different stakeholders evolve and gain in prominence, pharmaceutical companies must be prepared… Read More »Responding to dynamic shifts in value communications
Better management of customer data could help pharmaceutical companies’ digital transformation, according to Veeva’s Rebecca Silver. pharmaphorum’s Richard Staines spoke to her about how the use of customer reference data can transform pharma companies, increase competitiveness, and benefit the bottom line during these challenging times.… Read More »Pharma’s digital transformation journey and the role of customer reference data
An Excel spreadsheet was behind IT glitch that caused thousands of positive COVID-19 tests to be omitted from the UK’s official records, according to press reports. The issue that left almost 16,000 positive results going unreported has been blamed on the way Public Health England… Read More »Excel spreadsheet blamed for UK’s COVID-19 test and trace woes
There are a host of new, previously unimaginable tools and techniques – from analytics to robotic process automation (RPA) and artificial intelligence (AI) – available to help speed up processes and increase data accuracy. But for many life sciences organisations, these tools are either not… Read More »Why intelligent automation is the future for regulation
Better patient care pathways and models of care can be leveraged from the use of data, and the ability to collate and assess this information will drive more sustainable models of care, whilst unlocking the value of ‘longitudinal, real-world data’ as a resource for healthcare… Read More »The value of good data to patients
Digital health firm Your.MD has secured $30 million in a Series A round investment led by the consumer health giant Reckitt Benckiser (RB). Your.MD is the company behind the medical-grade, augmented intelligence self-care app Healthily, and will use the funding to accelerate the platform through… Read More »Your.MD secures $30m to expand self-care app Healthily
Patient simulations have been a key tool for educating physicians in some form for hundreds of years – and now cutting-edge technologies are helping them become more realistic and informative than ever. Medscape’s Martin Warters tells us more. Learning from a textbook can only take… Read More »The tools and techniques making virtual patient simulations more realistic than ever
Sweden’s Orexo says its opioid use disorder (OUD) digital therapeutic – now christened Modia – is on course for a launch before the end of the year in the US. Like its earlier digital therapies for alcohol misuse and depression, Modia’s earlier-than-expected rollout stems from… Read More »Orexo eyes opioid use disorder app launch before year-end
In a world producing more content than ever before, getting information to time-poor HCPs can be incredibly difficult – even if they want to find it. Ian Daley and Jonathan Macdonald from EPG Health tell us how pharma can take cues from digital publishing and… Read More »Cutting through the noise for HCPs
Swiss medical data specialist Sophia Genetics has raised $110 million in an oversubscribed funding round that will be used to boost its headcount and international presence and prepare to take its shares public. Proceeds from the sixth-round of private fundraising will fund the growth in… Read More »$110m financing sets up US, Asia expansion for Sophia Genetics
Amazon has launched a fitness band, app and subscription service – called Halo – that promises to look after both your body and mind. The e-commerce giant’s entry into the health wearables market combines monitoring of physical data such as activity levels, sleep patterns and… Read More »Amazon enters health wearables market with Halo service
The world is awash with data, and while retailers and TV subscription services have perfected the art of collection and curation, public health has been trailing behind. But the advent of COVID-19 is proving to be something of a coming of age for digital epidemiology,… Read More »Predicting pandemics with unconventional digital tools
The ongoing digital transformation of the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries has been greatly accelerated during the coronavirus pandemic. In The Medscape Professional Networks’ latest white paper, Healthcare’s New Normal: COVID Speeds Shift to Digital Communications, key opinion leaders and industry experts agree that in the… Read More »COVID-19’s lasting impact on digital communication in healthcare
Digital health startup Lyra Health has raised $110 million in fourth-round financing, raising its value above the $1 billion threshold for the first time since it was founded five years ago. California-based Lyra provides mental health care services that employers can include in health care… Read More »Digital health firm Lyra enters unicorn territory after fundraising
Health insurer Humana has filed a lawsuit against telemedicine company QuivvyTech that it says resulted in fraudulent prescriptions worth millions of dollars being written for duped customers. According to the complaint, QuivvyTech hired telemarketers to cold-call Humana members, whose details were obtained using “illegal means,”… Read More »Humana lawsuit exposes fraud risk in high-growth telehealth market
It’s all go in the US telehealth sector, with Alphabet’s Google investing $100 million in Amwell on the same day the Boston-based firm unveiled plans for an initial public offering (IPO). Google has also agreed a partnership with Amwell that makes the telehealth company its… Read More »Google pumps $100m into Amwell as telehealth firm eyes IPO
Bayer has taken a further stake in New York-based One Drop to support its plans to become a digital health business by developing new integrated care services for patients. The German pharmaceutical company will work with One Drop on digital health products that span multiple… Read More »Bayer strikes $98m deal with digital health firm One Drop
A smartphone-based app that uses facial analysis technology to spot chronic pain in people with dementia, called PainChek, is being rolled out in the UK by its Australian developer. The artificial intelligence-powered tool can help care workers and clinicians to identify and manage pain in… Read More »Pain-detecting tool for dementia patients rolls out in UK
An app developed by Kaia Health to help people suffering from back pain who may not want to take painkillers has shown its worth again in a study conducted with a health benefit plan in the US. The pilot study of the app – which… Read More »Pilot study backs Kaia Health app for back pain relief
David Keene looks at the difficulties faced in treating mental health patients and how digital technologies are changing the game. In 1919 a young Dwight Eisenhower participated in a cross-country road trip to deliver tanks from Fort Meade in Maryland to San Francisco. Most of… Read More »Why the next blockbuster in mental health might be a video game
UK digital health company Sensyne Health has launched a new smartphone app to help people across the diabetes spectrum manage their condition. The app – called DBm-Health – can help users to monitor their blood glucose levels and send readings, notes and medication information to… Read More »Sensyne Health launches diabetes app in the UK
Achieving Standardization & Operational Excellence in Vein-to-Vein Supply As an increasing number of candidates enter the clinic and promise to be a mainstay in the future of cancer treatment, cell therapies pose unique supply chain challenges. From temperature and time sensitivity, to patient-facing delivery and… Read More »Patient-to-Patient Supply for Cell Immunotherapies Summit
Harnessing the Potential of Macrophage Therapies Using Small Molecule, Antibody & Cell Therapy based Approaches for Oncology and Beyond The $4.9 billion acquisition of Forty Seven by Gilead is an example of the explosive excitement and investment into macrophage-directed therapies, utilizing CD47 checkpoint blockades, repolarization… Read More »2nd Macrophage-directed Therapies Summit
Three UK companies have combined their digital health technologies into a single remote consultation service for GP surgeries combining triage, video calls, patient messaging and treatment information. The platform combines eConsult’s digital triage tool – which was added to the NHS app a few weeks… Read More »Healthcare tech firms team up on consultation tools for GPs
The UK government has said it is vital to adopt telemedicine across the NHS in response to COVID-19 – but is the health service ready to fully embrace this digital tech? Dom Tyer investigates. The rapid digitalisation of life during COVID-19’s acute phase has had… Read More »NHS’ telemedicine ambitions approach a pivotal point
When digital health giants Teladoc and Livongo announced their $18.5 billion merger, shares in both companies fell sharply as investors tried to work out the rationale for the deal. Now the dust has settled, they seem to be warming to it. The cash and stock… Read More »Is Livongo-Teladoc merger a ‘leap forward’ for digital health?
The financial world, like the pharmaceutical industry, must operate within a tightly-defined regulatory environment, and in doing so has proved adept at connecting with its customers. No one industry is ever quite like another, but there are some valuable lessons for pharma marketing from examining… Read More »What can pharma marketing learn from other regulated industries?
The UK-based AI technology company Healx has begun a partnership with the Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics (FAST), focusing on developing new therapies for the rare neurogenetic disorder. The latest project will focus on quickly identifying and progressing novel treatments for Angelman syndrome, which is… Read More »Healx uses AI to find drugs for Angelman Syndrome
Catch up on the latest coronavirus vaccine and digital tech news in our roundup of this week’s biggest stories. Consumer advocacy group Public Citizen has slammed the amount Moderna is charging the US for the mRNA-1273 vaccine, saying that as taxpayer money had funded 100%… Read More »Coronavirus pharma news roundup – 14/08/20
After ditching its home-grown attempt at a coronavirus contact-tracing app for smartphones, the UK is ready to start pilot trials of a second version based on a platform developed by Apple and Google. The new NHS Test and Trace app is intended to be used… Read More »UK’s second go at a contact tracing app heads for pilot study
A new digital therapy is aiming to tackle depression during the COVID-19 pandemic, using a brain stimulation headset and therapy app that claims to have similar beneficial effects to drugs but with fewer side-effects. Flow is the first drug-free at-home treatment of its type to… Read More »Digital depression therapy offers hope during COVID-19 pandemic
A fellowship programme is looking for digital pioneers to design and lead service transformation projects in England’s NHS as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. DigitalHealth.London opens applications to its Digital Pioneer Fellowship programme, supporting change makers employed by NHS organisations in London to design and lead… Read More »NHS looks for digital pioneers to reshape services during pandemic
In our latest UK Leaders article Pinder Sahota, UK general manager at Novo Nordisk, tells us how he hopes to bring the NHS and pharma together to improve outcomes in diabetes and other long-term conditions. Though Novo Nordisk is perhaps not as much of a… Read More »Novo Nordisk: Prevention, digital tools and collaboration to define the future of diabetes
Drugmakers have been working with data specialist Certara on a new tool that they hope could speed up the development of vaccines for COVID-19. The new “biosimulation” tool is designed to make it easier for vaccine candidates across multiple patient populations through the use of… Read More »Certara adds to its COVID-19 toolkit with virtual trials module
Swiss medical data specialist Sophia Genetics has launched a platform that will sift through data generated at more than 1,000 hospitals around the world to try to work out how the COVID-19 pandemic will evolve in the coming months and years. The data mining tool… Read More »Sophia Genetics launches AI tool to find COVID-19 ‘unknowns’
Pharma’s reputation has soared due to the COVID-19 pandemic – but coronavirus is starting to bite companies’ sales. Find out more in our roundup of the biggest R&D, market access and digital stories from the past week. The perception of pharma and medical companies has… Read More »Coronavirus pharma news roundup – 07/08/20
Health technology firms Cerner and LRVHealth have invested $6 million in Xealth to scale up its business offering digital health tools to patients and clinicians. The companies said the new relationship aims to give patients control over their own digital data so they can be… Read More »Cerner and LRVHealth invest $6m in digital health firm Xealth
Bringing clinical trials to patients – rather than the reverse – could be the key to improving recruitment into studies and making them faster, cheaper and more likely to succeed, according to one clinical research organisation (CRO). There’s already plenty of support from regulators for… Read More »Decentralised trials – aided by tech – could boost clinical research
The UK digital mental health support platform Kooth has joined with five of the UK’s well known Instagram influencers to launch a campaign to help students deal with the pressures of exam results season. The campaign encourages the hundreds of thousands of students waiting to… Read More »Mental health platform helps students facing exam results during pandemic
VivoPlex, a UK based firm specialising in fertility and women’s health, has raised £3.9m to develop an intra-uterine sensor system and generate clinical data that could be used for European approval. Oxford-based VivoPlex raised the funds in two tranches, which will be used to complete… Read More »VivoPlex raises funding to develop intra-uterine sensor
There’s a new kid on the block in digital health – called HealthHero – with aspirations to become the biggest company in the European market. The new company officially comes into being today with the acquisition of Berlin-based telemedicine company Fernarzt, which was set up… Read More »New digital health player HealthHero launches with Fernarzt buy
Vaccines, AI-driven drug discovery and llamas all hit the headlines this week as the search for a way to end the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Here we highlight the biggest R&D, market access and digital coronavirus news of the past week. Roche’s anti-inflammatory drug Actemra has… Read More »Coronavirus pharma news roundup – 31/07/20
NHSX, the government agency tasked with digitally transforming the UK’s health service, has launched a service to help hospitals and clinics select pre-approved products to replace pagers. The Clinical Communications Procurement Framework is designed to support organisations to adopt new services as part of health… Read More »NHSX launches procurement tool as pager phase-out begins in earnest
From this summer’s vantage point 2019 seems like it was at least a decade ago, such is the trainwreck that is 2020. But for pharma’s digital transformation, these last few months could well have amounted to 10 years’ worth of progress. Pharmaceutical sales, marketing, and… Read More »The acceleration of pharma’s digital transformation
Medical device company Indigo Diabetes has raised 38 million euros to develop an “invisible” sensor for people with diabetes, which could provide an alternative to the “patch” based monitors currently on the market. The new investment round will enable Indigo to prepare and start up the… Read More »Indigo raises 38 million euros for ‘invisible’ diabetes glucose sensor
Shots: The companies expanded the collaboration to support the needs of patients with kidney disease via digital health solutions. The agreement integrates Ayogo’s LifePlan digital platform with Baxter’s expertise in renal care to develop mobile apps and digital solutions that bring personalized and timely support… Read More »Baxter and Ayogo Expand their Partnership to Advance Digital Health Solution for Home Dialysis
The UK government is providing funding to bring a software tool used to monitor patients during surgery to market “as soon as possible”, says its developer. Directed Systems Ltd has been awarded the COVID-19 Continuity Grant by Innovate UK to allow it to continue development… Read More »UK awards COVID-19 grant to surgery software developer
Pharmaceutical companies have always had access to a steady stream of data to look at what has happened in the past and to try to predict future prescribing trends. Business intelligence (BI) departments have supported this throughout with timely and effective reporting, within an environment… Read More »Next wave: how pharma analytics can be improved with new technologies
New research from MHP Health and ComRes looks at what impacts COVID-19 has had on the public’s health data sharing concerns, and asks how the industry can maintain confidence in data usage after the pandemic. In April, at the beginning of the COVID crisis, the… Read More »Brits more comfortable sharing data with pharma since COVID-19 – survey
US biotech AI Therapeutics has begun a phase 2 trial of its LAM-002A, an antiviral drug that has shown promise against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in the lab. The company develops drugs that have been identified with a proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm that matches drugs… Read More »US biotech uses AI to pick antiviral for COVID-19 trial
An app combining physical therapy, relaxation exercises and medical education developed by Kaia Health has been shown to improve physical and mental symptoms in people with chronic lower back pain. The iOS and Android app was put through its paces in a 1,245-patient study reported… Read More »Kaia app for lower back pain shows its worth in large-scale trial
A digital platform allowing clinicians to remotely monitor cancer patients’ health in real time has been launched in the UK. Already available on iOS with an Android version in the works, Careology Professional aims to give healthcare professionals a view of their patients’ health status… Read More »Careology launches digital platform to monitor cancer patient’s health