PureTech is a venture investor that’s behind some interesting initiatives in life sciences, most recently in music therapy’s applications. Now it’s using a new column in Nature to join the digital health discussion by focusing on its impact in the life sciences industry.
In an infographic it draws attention to the significant scope of monitoring and wearable devices in the consumer wellness and medical device space designed to collect data on everything from vital signs and posture to breathing and brain activity. The graphic draws attention to the overlap between these devices and the need for clinical validation to highlight monitoring tools worth the attention of physicians and research scientists. That underscores the kind of work that companies such as Evidation Health are doing.
In order to manage the torrents of data these devices produce, it highlights the need for tools to accurately integrate multiple types of data whether it’s genomic, sensor or environmental data.
It notes that a convergence between traditional and nontraditional companies opens up new opportunities in digital medicine for existing drug, device and diagnostic companies and new entrants.
“The winners in the emerging space will be those companies that can successfully blend both technology and medical expertise. Well-designed and easy-to-use products that have no clinically validated effect on health will likely have less economic potential, and, conversely, a product with great data that nobody wants to use will have challenges in the market. Being successful will require traditional players to establish new sets of internal competencies.”
It defines “digital medicine technology” as technology and products undergoing “rigorous clinical validation that will have a direct impact on diagnosing, preventing, monitoring or treating a disease, condition or syndrome and will change biopharma, medical device and diagnostics businesses.”
PureTech is also excited by the potential of these devices to collect data through continuous monitoring to help make patients feel more in control of their health and aid early intervention to reduce healthcare costs. It also sees the potential of initiatives like Apple’s ResearchKit to “transform every iPhone user into a potential research subject,” which brings up the issue of data privacy.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
