An Israeli dermatologist entrepreneur sees room in the niche teledermatology space for another player, particularly for an app that provides a way for people with different forms of acne to better understand their condition and how to manage it.
Mobile health startup MD Algorithms, co-founded by dermatologist Dr. Yoram Harth and led by CEO Oded Harth developed the MDacne app. It starts with a questionnaire about the users skin condition and users submit selfies for image analysis. The aim is to develop a customized skin care plan using a combination of over-the-counter medication, daily tips and reminders, guides and a “selfie tracker” so users can see how their skin is changing.
By sticking to the area of acne, the founders believe they can have the biggest impact and avoid getting mired in the complexities and controversy of the melanoma detection side of teledermatology.
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“We started one year ago with 100 acne patients. We worked with them to take photos and on image analysis,” said Yoram. It also uses a 10-grade acne chart that dermatologists use to assess severity of acne and treatment regimens.
Its app is available for iPhone users and, like most Israeli startups, have their eyes fixed on the U.S. market. Oded said since its soft launch in December last year with iTunes app store, it has amassed 10,000 users — the majority of them in the U.S.
“In the future our vision is that this will be the first step for everyone with acne,” said Oded. “We see it as a longterm personal assistant for acne.”
Yoram added, “It starts with guidance with what you have to do in general [for skin care]. As a dermatologist, I don’t think people get the treatment they need. In a perfect world people would have a lot of human touch and in-person contact, but in the real world, 80 percent of people with acne don’t get to a dermatologist because it’s expensive and for dermatologist visits, the average [visit lasts] less than seven minutes.”
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Yoram continued, “At the end, people are frustrated … Fifty percent of people who get prescriptions don’t even [pick them up]. Compliance is very low. App is free to do download and image download
Among some of the teldermatology startups that have zeroed in on acne treatment are Spruce, although it has since broadened the skin conditions it supports to include anti-aging. It is backed by investors such as GV (Google Ventures) and Kleiner Perkins Caulfield and Byers, Baseline Ventures and Cowboy Ventures. Curology, formerly known as PocketDerm, is another.
