BioLum Sciences is introducing new chemistry that has the potential to completely change the way we test for respiratory illnesses, like asthma, and analyze blood samples to identify hypertension. CEO Edward Allegra talks through the science behind both their breath and blood tests, both of which are patent-pending and have the ability to completely bend the cost-curve when it comes to identifying and monitoring these two common chronic conditions. What’s next for the early-stage health startup? A range of applications to detect everything from COPD to lung cancer and more.
Filmed at Bayer G4A Signing Day in Berlin, Germany, October 2019.
What’s ahead for digital thereaputics as the category carves out its place in the broader world of digital health and health tech? Megan Coder, Executive Director of the Digital Therapeutics Alliance (the professional org founded in 2017 to guide the development of the category), swings by to level set with some definitions, talk reimbursement trends in US and Europe, and explain the intention behind the DTA’s recently published code of conduct and best practices for DTX companies.
Filmed at Frontiers Health in Berlin, Germany, November 2019.
Can artificial intelligence help prevent cardiovascular diseases? Biotech startup, Prevencio, has developed a proprietary panel of biomarkers that uses blood proteins and sophisticated AI algorithms to detect cardiovascular conditions like coronary and peripheral artery disease, aerotic stenosis, risk for stroke and more. Dean Loizou, Prevencio’s VP of Business Development, breaks down the process step-by-step and explains exactly how Prevencio reports its clinically viable scores to doctors. How does the AI fit into all this? We get to that too, plus the details around this startup’s plans for raising a B-round on the heels of this work with Bayer.
Filmed at Bayer G4A Signing Day in Berlin, Germany, October 2019.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is known worldwide for their leading-edge approach to cancer care…so, how can digital health help? MSK’s new Digital Ventures Lead, Janhvi Patel, talks about the types of tech companies she’s looking to partner with (or invest in) when it comes to advancing her organization’s oncology practice. Sure, precision medicine is an important area of innovation, but so are patient journey, provider workflow improvement, and data analysis. What else does one of the world’s leading cancer centers need to take their care to the next level? Tune in to meet Janhvi and find out.
Almirall is a dermatology-focused pharmaceutical company based in Spain, and its investment in R&D for developing new therapeutics leads the way as the largest within the country’s pharma industry. It’s no surprise, then, that Almirall has also adopted a digital therapeutics and digital health strategy to augment it’s molecular innovations with a ‘beyond the pill’ approach. We sat down with Almirall’s first-ever Chief Digital Officer, Francesca Wuttke, to hear about the pharma company’s digital strategy which is centered on laying the framework for advanced analytical platforms that gather more health data about patients and skin health. For help and fresh ideas, Francesca has opened Almirall’s doors to health tech startups, launching a brand-new accelerator program cutely called ‘Almirall’s Digital Garden,’ to ‘seed’ and ‘grow’ innovative solutions. Are there lots of health startups out there that focus on treating psoriasis, acne, and other dermatological conditions? Francesca tells us what she hopes ‘reap’ from the Digital Garden and how she hopes her broader digital strategy will flourish at the boutique pharma company.
Filmed at Barcelona Health Hub Summit in Barcelona, Spain, October 2019.
As the adage goes, “health is wealth,” and Wellthy Therapeutics is a startup looking to improve the health of patients with chronic conditions in India by making treatment more accessible. Only 5% of Indians are insured and much of the population is not health literate, so CEO Abhishek Shah hopes the Wellthy app will fill a critical gap in care for those with type II diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular conditions, and respiratory illnesses. With 15K users, the startup is focused on scaling up to truly capitalize on the potential of India’s enormous population. Learn more about their big plans, including those for a Series-A, to support that expansion.
Filmed at Bayer G4A Signing Day in Berlin, Germany, October 2019.
Bum knees, aching backs, and neck pain are literally a pain-in-the-neck for millions of people – making chronic pain one of the largest areas of healthcare spending. Is it time to disrupt the traditional delivery of physical therapy? Physera CEO, Dan Rubenstein, thinks so, and talks to us about how his healthcare startup is revolutionizing the way physical therapy is being delivered by taking it virtual and driving down the cost. With more than $10M in funding (their $6M Series A was led by BlueCross BlueShield’s Venture Fund) and a major contract with a nationwide health plan provider in the works, the health tech startup is on track to help millions of people feel better and avoid the crazy rush to the PT’s office.
Is Castlight Health suffering a case of ‘first-mover’ curse? One of digital health’s first unicorns, Castlight Health, IPO’d back in 2014 with a valuation of over $3 billion dollars (reportedly, 107 times revenue) at a share price of $40. Today, the stock trades around $1.20, and the company has endured years of frustration from shareholders who’ve complained about customer churn and questioned the company’s business model. A recent change in leadership at the top of the organization has ushered in new CEO Maeve O’Meara, a long-time employee of the trailblazing company, who’s now responsible for blazing a new path toward forward herself. Refreshingly candid about the road ahead, Maeve explains how some new high-touch (but cost-effective) offerings are opening up new markets for the biz and hints at potential partnerships emerging with Big Tech. A must-watch for any digital health startup, investor, or industry analyst who wants longitudinal perspective on health tech’s market resilience and the importance of timing. Maeve, who was a health investor herself before joining Castlight, sums up the challenge of trailblazing tech in healthcare like this: “In healthcare, you always want to be one step ahead and not two steps ahead — you can get burned easily by being two steps ahead.”
Looks like Uber has found its place as a healthcare company. On the heels of announcing a major partnership with Cerner to integrate its platform directly into the Cerner EMR system (and its reach of 220 million patients), Head of Uber Health, Dan Trigub, stops by to talk all things ‘rideshare in healthcare.’ From the regulatory environment shaping non-emergency medical transportation to reimbursement, Dan provides a sophisticated, in-depth description of the market opportunity the ride-hailing business sees in healthcare. How is Uber Health fairing within Uber’s larger business model, which is notoriously known to still be waiting to turn a profit? With more than 1,000 clients and 400% year-over-year growth in the health vertical it sounds like things are picking up.
Is healthcare innovation more challenging in a public healthcare system? We sat down with the Chief Medical Officer & Director of Innovation for the Hospital Clinico San Carlos, Dr. Julio Mayol, to find out! A large, academic research hospital in Madrid, Hospital Clinico San Carlos is an 800-bed facility that has served Madrid since 1717. The hospital counts the entire population of the city (all 6.5M of them) as their patient base and, as such, takes a different approach to integrating new health technology and innovations. Dr. Mayol unpacks the way he leads population health initiatives in his institution, talking through his approach for engaging physicians, external partners, and patients alike to improve the quality of care. Is it different than the way it works in the U.S.? Tune in to find out!
Filmed at Barcelona Health Hub Summit in Barcelona, Spain, October 2019.
