The American Gastroenterological Association and the American College of Cardiology have invested in Rx.Health, the company told MedCity.
A Mount Sinai Health System spinoff, Rx.Health has a solution called RxUniverse that enables physicians to prescribe evidence-based apps. The tool is built into a hospital’s EHR system.
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This is the first time the AGA has invested in a startup. The ACC has made a couple of other strategic investments in organizations that it’s “actively co-creating something with,” said ACC managing director of innovation Jennifer Bae in a phone interview.
Via phone, Rx.Health COO Andy Pfau declined to disclose the amount of the investment from the AGA and ACC but noted it was an extension to the $1.8 million seed round Rx.Health raised last year.
Having the organizations invest speaks to the fact that “Rx.Health is deeply steeped in clinical validation and evidence,” Pfau said.
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The AGA and ACC both have existing relationships with Rx.Health.
Earlier this year, the AGA and Rx.Health announced a new partnership to develop a GI-specific digital toolkit. The dissemination of the offering is powered by RxUniverse.
Additionally, Rx.Health co-founder Dr. Ashish Atreja is an AGA member.
“It had that immediate credibility to us,” AGA executive vice president Tom Serena said in a phone interview. “We wanted to make a bigger commitment.”
As for the ACC, Bae noted that it has been working with Rx.Health for about a year and a half. The goal is to digitally transform cardiovascular care. For instance, the organizations are developing a 10 center Cardiovascular Transformation Network. Each network center will gain access to the Rx.Health platform and ACC-reviewed digital tools.
With the new investment, Secaucus, New Jersey-based Rx.Health plans to further build out its clinical team and development team, as well as meet the demand for its offering.
Mount Sinai and Icahn School of Medicine initially debuted RxUniverse, the flagship product, back in 2016. Sinai AppLab and Mount Sinai Innovation Partners also launched Responsive Health to license the technology to other healthcare providers. In September 2017, Responsive Health officially rebranded to Rx.Health.
Picture: claudenakagawa, Getty Images
