Health IT, Patient Engagement

Proteus Digital Health smart pill study shows significant reduction in BP levels

After four weeks, the study found that more than 84 percent of participants who used the digital health platform were able to meet their blood pressure target compared with 33 percent who had usual care.

shared interim results from a four and 12-week study of its ingestible sensor program, Proteus Discover, for patients with uncontrolled hypertension and type 2 diabetes at the American College of Cardiology’s annual conference this week. The study indicated a majority of participants were able to achieve their blood pressure target using a combination of its sensors, wearables and apps to address the challenges of medication adherence, according to a company statement.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to make a decision on its joint NDA application with Otsuka Pharmaceutical for its schizophrenia drug Abilify. In a phone interview with Proteus Chief Medical Officer and Co-founder Dr. George Savage about the study, he noted that it had not expected the difference in the digital health group and the usual treatment group to be as large as they were.

“The results we’re getting are very gratifying for us,” Savage said.

The participants in the 96-person study had a median age of 56. After four weeks, the study found that more than 84 percent who used the digital health platform were able to meet their blood pressure target compared with 33 percent who had usual care.

He also commented on the varying levels of its users’ education and comfort with technology. Savage said that the company’s approach has been so well received by users that its net promoter score — the likelihood of recommending the company to a friend or colleague — rivals Google and Apple.

“We knew patients tended to like [Proteus Discover], but we had no idea it would rank so highly,” Savage said.

Savage added that by providing a communication tool that helps patients give feedback to physicians and so both can see what the medication does for them, they can collaborate to figure out how to meet their health goals.

One of the biggest challenges in patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes is that nearly half fail to achieve their treatment goals, according to data cited by the company. Patients with uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension are at high risk for cardiovascular events and complications requiring hospitalization.

The idea behind Proteus Discover is that by producing data from its ingestible sensors, companion wearable and app, patients and doctors can a more informed conversation about treatment and what can be done to improve.

Referencing the poor medication adherence statistic, Savage said, “We would tend in other industries to view a statistic like that as a product failure, but in healthcare we blame patients.”

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