Startups, Health IT

OurCrowd Qure expands investment targets, Luminox Health-JHU collaboration could deepen

A little more than one year after OurCrowd Qure launched a digital health fund and Luminox Health partnered with Johns Hopkins to validate medtech, a managing partner of the fund and CEO of Luminox, Dr. Yossi Bahagon, offered an update in response to emailed questions.

By Stephanie Baum on February 02, 2018
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A little more than one year after OurCrowd Qure launched a digital health fund and more than two years after Luminox Health partnered with Johns Hopkins to validate health tech, a managing partner of the fund and CEO of Luminox, Dr. Yossi Bahagon, offered an update in response to emailed questions.
In the past year, the fund has made five investments. In addition to taking part in a Series C round for TytoCare this week, Qure has invested in AI-based medical image analysis and diagnostic business Zebra Medical Vision; genetic testing tracking business Kolgene; a cybersecurity business aimed at protecting connected medical devices at hospitals and smart medical homes called CyberMDX; and direct-to-consumer diabetes management platform Dario.
“We’re also exploring investments in two more companies – one is developing a machine learning-based medication personalization platform, and the other is targeting the opioid overconsumption crisis using neuro-remodeling achieved through a mobile-based augmented-reality solution,” Bahagon said.
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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.

By PurpleLab
In addition to his work with OurCrowd Qure, Bahagon also heads up Luminox Health, an Israeli digital health initiative that partnered with Johns Hopkins University a few years ago. The collaboration with Hopkins provides a beta testing and clinical trial site for companies through this pipeline.

Sweetch is the most recent company to finalize its clinical trial at Hopkins, according to Bahagon. The company developed an automated AI program for diabetes prediction and prevention. Hopkins’ division of endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism carried out the trial. Findings are expected to be published later this year.

Luminox is also exploring another initiative with Hopkins that would be focused on addressing the lack of robust evidence validating and quantifying the value of digital medicine. The collaboration could involve setting up an evidence-based digital medicine research center.
 Johns Hopkins didn’t immediately respond to questions about the potential new initiative.
Photo: LoveTheWind, Getty Images