Digital health news, funding round up in the prior week; December 27, 2022

Healthy.io and Blue Cross of Idaho partnered; CheckMe bought Doctor Online

Top Health News

• Local Infusion, a company looking to design its own clinics that not only incorporate new technology but with an entirely new aesthetic, opened its first clinic, located in Concord, New Hampshire. The company offers treatments for over 40 different conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and Crohn's Disease, incorporates technology in a space that has fallen behind in deploying it; while most infusion therapy referrals are done and managed through phones and faxes, Local Infusion's tech allows for digital, or e-ordering, and an electronic intake process that improves the speed at which it can can process referrals. That means patients can get their care timelier, which can be a matter of urgent need when we're talking about progressive illnesses like multiple sclerosis, Baum noted. Additionally, the company has developed a data platform that allows it to extract and integrate data from multiple sources to measure quality outcomes. The reasoning behind the choice to open the first clinic in Concord was that the company wanted to start in either Maine and New Hampshire, simply because several C-suite headers in the healthcare industry had asked Baum to do so. In addition, the company also found that the care options for patients in those states was lacking.
• Bayer announced it will invest more than $1.5 million in Berkeley working with 13 non-profits to drive resiliency in its West Berkeley neighborhood and to advance Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math education over the next three to five years. Sponsorship of these programs is part of Bayer’s recently Amended and Restated Development Agreement with the City of Berkeley which outlines more than $33 million in community investments to be made over the next 30 years as the company transforms its biotech operations there. Bayer’s community investments over the next 30 years includes support beyond STEAM and West Berkeley – addressing areas where the community has other critical needs. Funds for affordable housing, childcare and the arts together represent roughly 30% of the community investments Bayer will make and are provided directly to the City of Berkeley to distribute through its standard channels.
• Frequency Therapeutics, a clinical-stage regenerative medicine company focused on developing therapeutics to activate a person’s innate potential to restore function announced that it has established a Clinical Advisory Board to help guide its remyelination in multiple sclerosis program. Comprised of leading experts from across the neurosciences, the Clinical Advisory Board will support clinical development and translation efforts as the Company advances its small molecule therapeutic candidate through human studies. The Company plans a regulatory filing for its remyelination program in the second half of 2023.
• Sanofi and Innate Pharma SA announced an expansion of their collaboration, with Sanofi licensing a natural killer cell engager program targeting B7H3 from Innate’s Antibody-based NK Cell Engager Therapeutics platform. Sanofi will also have the option to add up to two additional ANKETTM targets. Upon candidate selection, Sanofi will be responsible for all development, manufacturing and commercialization. Innate and Sanofi signed a first NK cell engagers collaboration in 2016 for the generation and evaluation of up to two bispecific NK cell engagers, which are currently being evaluated by Sanofi’s R&D team, with one of these molecules already in clinical studies.
• TailorMed, a financial navigation technology company that helps healthcare organizations remove financial barriers to care, announced support from Ballad Ventures, Inception Health, and University Hospitals Ventures. The three organizations will expand and strengthen the TailorMed network, the nation’s largest network of patients, providers, pharmacies, life science companies, and other partners dedicated to improving healthcare affordability. They join a syndicate of prominent health systems that partner with TailorMed and advance its mission to help patients and healthcare entities tackle the financial challenges of care delivery.
• Ordaōs, a biotechnology company designing novel mini-proteins to help drug hunters deliver life-saving treatments, announced a joint development agreement to create new therapeutics for two novel targets in Acute Myeloid Leukemia with Yatiri Bio, a biotechnology company that has developed a proprietary platform that links patient proteomic and clinical data to context-specific ex-vivo model systems to drive efficient drug development and advance personalized medicines.
• Eye care nonprofit Orbis International announced its renewed partnership with the Swiss watchmaker OMEGA, which will provide the organization with $2.5 million over the next five years. The support will bolster Orbis's work to train eye care teams in areas with the greatest need so they can provide quality care to patients. OMEGA has been a supporter of Orbis since 2011, when it became a Global Corporate Partner. Through support of the Flying Eye Hospital – the world's only fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on board an MD-10 plane – OMEGA has helped Orbis in its mission to mentor, train, and inspire local teams so they can save sight in their communities.
• Google announced at its annual conference in India that it is working with pharmacists to explore ways to decipher the handwriting of doctors. The feature, currently a research prototype and not ready for the public yet, allows users to either take a picture of the prescription or upload one from the photo library. Once the image is processed, the app detects and highlights the medicines mentioned in the note, a Google executive demonstrated.
• Takeda, a R&D-driven global biopharmaceutical company, and the Saudi Gastroenterology Association signed a new partnership agreement with the aim to advance inflammatory bowel disease care in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Through this latest partnership, Takeda and SGA will pool their collective resources, expertise, and knowledge to enhance IBD treatment by providing education, training, and knowledge-sharing platforms so that healthcare practitioners and facilities are better equipped to support patient needs. Core areas of focus will be identifying how existing healthcare resources can be better optimized for IBD treatment, establishing modern diagnosis methods, supporting education, and expanding patients’ access to treatment.
• ValGenesis, a enterprise validation lifecycle management company, and Verista, a life sciences services company focused on delivering business, technology, and compliance solutions, announced a strategic global partnership to deliver precise manufacturing intelligence and validation services for life sciences companies leveraging ValGenesis' market-leading Validation Lifecycle Management System and Verista's expert domain and validation knowledge. In this partnership, Verista will implement and manage next-generation manufacturing intelligence and digital validation tools developed by ValGenesis, enabling clients to further strengthen risk and compliance across the GMP lifecycle. The partnership will offer 100% paperless validation solutions for regulated life sciences companies globally, reducing and managing risk and helping them unleash the full potential of digital transformation to bring their products to market more quickly and safely.
• The Postgraduate Institute for Medicine, which accredits more than 2,500 educational activities for healthcare professionals each year, and VieCure, a cancer care company with a clinical decision support platform, announced a new partnership designed to offer continuing medical education to the multidisciplinary cancer care teams utilizing the VieCure platform. The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education defines an internet search and learn activity as an activity in which a physician engages in self-directed, online learning on topics relevant to their clinical practice from a database whose content has been vetted by an accredited CME provider. Using this model, users of the VieCure platform will be able to claim CME credit for researching the new and emerging therapies for patients with cancer.
• DruvStar, a cyber defense solution provider, announced a new strategic partnership with Kindbridge, a teletherapy company focused specifically on the successful treatment of gamblers and gamers struggling with their mental health. The partnership between the two companies includes assistance in both software development and live operations to ensure that Kindbridge can offer a secure and safe platform.
• Amalgam Rx, a company connecting healthcare providers and life sciences companies through a SaaS-enabled digital marketplace and product platform, announced the expansion of its global agreement with Novo Nordisk for the commercialization of Dose Check. The new agreement bolsters the existing partnership and product suite between Novo Nordisk and Amalgam by incorporating and integrating with connected insulin delivery devices, continuous glucose monitors, and electronic health records. Novo Nordisk is also making an equity investment in Amalgam.
• Rise Health, a primary care platform that leverages technology to operate and support value-based primary care clinics, announced the closing of a growth equity investment by Lorient Capital and Martis Capital to support continued market expansion. The partnership will allow Rise Health to accelerate growth across the Southwest United States, with a focus on partnering with providers who are interested in eliminating unnecessary spending and improving the quality of care for their patients. Rise Health will continue to invest in technology to lower the cost curve and meet the needs of its growing patient population.
• Duo Health, a medical group designed around the needs of patients with chronic kidney disease, announced a partnership in Arizona with Desert Kidney Associates, a nephrology practice with longstanding community ties. Duo Health is a new type of value-based medical group purpose-built to manage chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease in collaborative relationships with nephrology and multi-specialty practices. Duo Health brings advanced technology, a proven clinical model and deep domain expertise in patient engagement to give unmatched participation by nephrologists in the value the partnership creates together.
• AstraZeneca, a science-led biopharmaceutical, and G42 Healthcare, an AI-powered healthcare company, signed a strategic partnership agreement to locally manufacture innovative drugs in Abu Dhabi. The binding agreement focuses on collaboration in four key areas including localizing innovative industries, research and development, innovation and sustainability at a global scale. The agreement cements the emirate's position as a hub for research and innovation in life sciences and is the latest in a series of longstanding partnerships with key players in the pharmaceutical industry.
• Healthy.io, a company that transforms a smartphone camera into a medical device, and Blue Cross of Idaho announced a new multi-year partnership that will provide innovative tools to help Idahoans lead healthier lives by promoting early detection of kidney damage and chronic kidney disease. This multi-year collaboration will provide people across the state with access to Healthy.io's Minuteful Kidney test, the only FDA-cleared at-home kidney test. Through this partnership, Blue Cross of Idaho employees and Medicare Advantage members will have an easy way to test for signs of kidney damage, with instant clinical-grade results that are shared directly with their primary care physician. Beginning this month, test kits will be provided to select Blue Cross of Idaho employees ahead of a broad rollout with Medicare Advantage members in 2023.
• InnerScope Hearing Technologies, a company in the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid space today announced it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NUHEARA Limited, a medical device and consumer electronics manufacturer, to create a strategic partnership to build a strong market share in the US Over-the-Counter hearing aid market. The partnership gives InnerScope licensing rights, clinical know-how, and support to its patents and NUHEARA's FDA-Cleared OTC Self-Fitting Hearing Aid Technology to be integrated into InnerScope's OTC Hearing Aids. In addition, InnerScope has status as the exclusive 3rd-party retail chain distributor for the sale of NUHEARA's products, including its FDA-Cleared OTC Self-Fitting HP Hearing PRO hearing aid. 
• Elation Health, a clinical-first technology company powering innovation in primary care, announced a partnership with CopperHill, a healthcare and life sciences technology and consulting company that delivers integration and data solutions with AIR Connect. Through this program, CopperHill is making the AIR Connect Elation Accelerator available today to the more than 24,000 clinicians caring for millions of Americans through Elation's collaborative, clinical-first electronic health record (EHR) technology. AIR Connect extends the Elation Salesforce Health Cloud application programming interface (API) to other innovative digital health systems, helping clinicians gain the most detailed information on their patients and deliver the highest levels of care.
• MediOrbis, a multi-specialty telehealth company with comprehensive specialty telemedicine services and chronic disease management programs, partnered with Kahun to offer Kahun's proprietary AI-driven digital intake tool as a part of its comprehensive telehealth platform. Effective immediately, MediOrbis clients can now access this industry-leading tool as a means of providing patient information, streamlining telehealth visits, engaging patients and assisting providers in managing telemedicine consultations.
• Novan, a medical dermatology company primarily focused on researching, developing, and commercializing innovative therapeutic products for skin diseases, announced that EPI Health, a fully consolidated subsidiary of Novan, has entered into an exclusive license agreement with Sato Pharmaceutical, granting Sato the right to develop, manufacture and market RHOFADE for rosacea in Japan.
• Ultrasound sensor specialist Novosound signed a commercial partnership agreement with PAVmed, a diversified medical technology company, to develop technology aimed at advancing intravascular imaging. The PAVmed agreement furthers Novosound’s move into healthcare, and its regional expansion into North America. The company has announced a series of international contract wins over the last twelve months, including with aerospace groups BAE Systems and GE Aviation, and Israeli-based digital health company dSound.
• The Protez Foundation, a non-profit that provides free quality prosthetics and rehabilitation to Ukrainian children, soldiers and civilians in the US who have lost their limbs during the war announced a partnership with OneStep, a platform for digital physical therapy using science that turns any smartphone into a clinical-grade motion analysis lab. By joining forces with OneStep, Protez patients will have access to advanced software that will show them the success of their gait progress. The Foundation currently has more than 600 applications submitted and before the end of the year, it will have helped over 30 Ukrainians in need of a prosthetic, though the goal it to help between 10 and 30 people a month get a prosthetic.
• HealthTech Arkansas and Laina Enterprises partnered to provide support to the biotherapeutics startup companies that participate in the BioAR Trial accelerator program. Laina Enterprises offers an end-to-end solution for Clinical Research Management Systems, which will be an invaluable tool to the participating biotherapeutics companies conducting clinical trials. HealthTech Arkansas and Laina Enterprises have partnered to provide support to the biotherapeutics startup companies that participate in the BioAR Trial accelerator program. Laina Enterprises offers an end-to-end solution for Clinical Research Management Systems, which will be an invaluable tool to the participating biotherapeutics companies conducting clinical trials.
• WHO/Europe is supporting Armenia with the development of a national strategic action plan on rehabilitation and assistive technology. The need for rehabilitation services has drastically increased in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Often supported by AT, rehabilitation is cost-effective and helps achieve and maintain the best treatment outcome for a patient. For the last 2 years WHO has been supporting Armenia’s efforts to strengthen all aspects of rehabilitation services and AT. Working closely with the Ministry of Health, WHO provided technical support to help assess the rehabilitation situation in the country, including the capacity to respond to unmet need as well as emergency situations.
• MeMed, a provider of advanced host-response technologies, and Tulsa ER & Hospital, a physician-managed facility with a mission to restore the provider and patient relationship through communication and individualized treatment plans, announced that Tulsa ER & Hospital is adopting the trailblazing MeMed BV® test that distinguishes between a bacterial and viral infection in just 15 minutes from serum. MeMed’s technology applies machine learning to translate the complex signaling of the immune system into simple, actionable diagnostic insights. This enables rapid, accurate diagnosis even in cases where the site of infection is inaccessible, such as respiratory tract infections which are currently on the rise. The MeMed BV test aids physicians to enhance patient management and make more informed antibiotic treatment decisions.
• DarioHealth Corp, a company in the global digital therapeutics market, announced a new partnership with ECES, an international wellness company, to deploy Dario Move throughout Greece and Cyprus as part of a planned government sponsored initiative. The program will launch in early 2023 with a mandate to screen a minimum of 50,000 citizens in support of improving musculoskeletal health of the Greek and Cyprus populations.
• Merck and Kelun-Biotech, a clinical-stage biotech company focused on biologic and small molecule discovery and development, announced that the companies have entered into an exclusive license and collaboration agreement to develop seven investigational preclinical antibody-drug conjugates for the treatment of cancer. Under the agreement, Kelun-Biotech has granted Merck exclusive global licenses to research, develop, manufacture and commercialize multiple investigational preclinical ADC therapies and exclusive options to obtain additional licenses to ADC candidates. Kelun-Biotech retains the right to research, develop, manufacture and commercialize certain licensed and option ADCs for mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.
• Cue Health, a company known for diagnostic enabled care, announced that it has been selected by Minnesota Department of Health to provide a statewide COVID-19 telehealth to treatment program, powered by Cue Care, at no cost to Minnesota residents. With Cue, Minnesotans who test positive on any COVID-19 self test can consult virtually and on-demand with a healthcare professional to obtain a prescription for COVID-19 treatment at no cost, if they are medically indicated. Through the program, COVID-19 treatment is made available for same day pick-up or delivery from a local pharmacy. Cue’s telehealth to treatment services offered in partnership with MDH will be accessible at no cost to all Minnesota residents regardless of insurance status via mobile, web, and telephone.
• Oklahoma-based Avem Health Partners, which provides administrative and technology services to healthcare organizations, notified 271,303 individuals of a healthcare data breach that occurred at 365 Data Centers, a vendor used by a third-party service provider utilized by Avem. 365 Data Centers discovered that an unauthorized party may have accessed information on its servers in May 2022. Avem plans to mail letters to patients whose information was potentially involved in the breach and said it is in the process of evaluating its vendor relationships.
• InSitu Biologics announced that it has entered into an agreement with the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research to further develop its prolonged-release drug delivery technology for anti-cancer therapeutics. InSitu Biologics has developed an industry-leading platform technology for loading large doses of a variety of medications into a localized delivery matrix. Once injected, medication elutes from the multi-phase matrix over an extended period. The collaboration with Mayo is both a research and commercial endeavor, and will accelerate InSitu Biologics’ work in adapting this technology for anti-cancer therapeutics. This partnership will encompass traditional cancer medications as well as newly developed novel agents.
• BioTelemetry and its subsidiary CardioNet agreed to pay $44,875,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting claims to Medicare, TRICARE, the Veterans Health Administration, and the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program for heart monitoring tests that were performed, in part, outside the United States, and in many cases by technicians who were not qualified to perform such tests. The United States alleged that CardioNet improperly billed Medicare and other federal health care programs for certain cardiac monitoring services — including Holter, event monitoring, and mobile cardiovascular telemetry tests — that were performed overseas in violation of federal law that prohibits payment for services furnished outside the United States. More specifically, the government alleged that, in 2013, CardioNet contracted with a company located in India for the provision of diagnostic and analysis services of heart monitoring data.
• Simplify Healthcare, a digital platform provider for payers, TPAs, and ASOs, partnered with its not-for-profit affiliate, Maker’s Merci, to donate $15,000 to local shelters, organizations helping seniors, veterans, autism, foster kids, burn victims, disaster relief, and children’s hospital. The funds provided holiday meals, food drives/meal support, toy drives, Amazon wish list items, and wishes walls (foster kids’ holiday wishes). Amongst the recipients were Feeding America and Loaves & Fishes.
• EyeQue is expanding the number of people who can have access to vision tests, announcing a donation of 25,000 of its Personal Vision Trackers to the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides services to American Indians in central Oklahoma. The Personal Vision Tracker is a device and free mobile app that tests a person's refraction, which indicates if they suffer from astigmatism, nearsightedness, or farsightedness. While the clinic staff cares for more than 22,000 patients from over 200 federally recognized tribes annually, it does this with only three licensed optometrists. With this donation, the clinic will be able give one Personal Vision Tracker to each one of the clinic's registered patients.
• According to a report from research firm Sage Growth Partners, nly 11% of hospitals, and 8% of practices, said they were looking to expand telehealth offering, but a large percentage of hospitals, 45%, and practices, 35%, said their plan was to optimize their current program. When asked about sustainability, meaning continuing to offer services that seamlessly integrate with in-person care, 35% of practices said they plan to do so, while 15% of hospitals said the same. The survey also found that a large percentage of physicians and hospital executives are satisfied with the care their organizations can provide by telehealth, and that the majority also see positive clinical outcomes, such as avoided visits to the emergency department. A majority of respondents from practices said telehealth has increased the workload of their support staff, and 28% said it creates more work for nurses. For hospital executives, 35% said telehealth increases the workload for support staff, and 30% said it requires nurses to do more work.

M&A

• SMS Healthcare, an Australian corrective eye surgery provider, acquired practices in Kogarah, Miranda and Wollongong owned by Southern Ophthalmology
• FUJIFILM Corporation entered into an asset purchase agreement to acquire the global digital pathology business of Inspirata
• Kite, a biopharmaceutical company, acquired Tmunity, a clinical-stage, private biotech company focused on next-generation CAR T-therapies and technologies
• Olympus, a manufacturer of optical and digital precision technology, acquired cloud-based AI endoscopy technology developer Odin Vision
• Doctor Anywhere, an omni-channel healthcare service provider in Asia, acquired Asian Healthcare Specialists, an integrated healthcare provider in Singapore.
• CheckMe, a provider of on-demand medical lab services, acquired Doctor Online, a virtual clinic mobile application
• Vistagen, a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company aiming to transform the treatment landscape for individuals with central nervous system disorders, acquired Pherin Pharmaceuticals, a drug development company focused on the discovery and development of investigational pherine compounds for treatment of neuropsychiatric and neuroendocrine conditions
• Johnson & Johnson completed its acquisition of Abiomed, a company that develops and manufactures temporary external and implantable mechanical circulatory support devices
• Wellable, an employee wellness technology and services provider, acquired assets of DailyEndorphin, a corporate wellness challenges company
• GLO Healthcare, developer of superior diagnostic testing and therapies for all major cancers and other life-threatening diseases, completed its acquisition of Calyx, a provider of software and tech-enabled services to the clinical research market

Funding Roundup 

• Warrior Centric Health, an organization that enables health care facilities and providers to deliver care to veterans, active service members and their families, raised $1 million
• Carallel, a provider of human-centered guidance and digital tools for family caregivers, raised $8.2 million
• Nectar, a provider of personalized allergy treatments, raised $16.5 million
• Quris, an AI company disrupting the pharmaceutical arena, raised $9 million
• Added Health, a provider of a health and lifestyle coaching platform, raised over £1 million
• Parallel Bio, a biotech company unlocking the human body’s own power to cure disease, raised $4.3 million
• Carallel, a provider of human-centered guidance and digital tools for family caregivers, raised $8.2 million
• Doctor Anywhere, an omni-channel healthcare service provider in Asia, raised $38.8 million
• Numares Health AG, a provider of a fully automated in-vitro diagnostics platform, raised €40 million
• Metriport, which helps digital health companies access and manage user health and medical data, raised $2.4 million
• SiBionics, developer of AI-based medical devices for chronic disease management, raised $71.7 million
• Aiosyn, a company on a mission to leverage AI for improved clinical diagnostics, raised €2 million
• iThera Medical, an optoacoustic imaging company, raised £13 million

(Image source: forbes.com)