Singapore-based data science and healthcare technology company Holmusk announced a collaboration with the Healthcare business sector of German pharma and life sciences giant Merck to support patients and physicians in Asia-Pacific with a holistic treatment approach for prediabetes and diabetes.
The partnership involves Holmusk's GlycoLeap, a mobile digital therapeutics platform that utilizes a highly data-driven approach to deliver personalized dietary feedback, interactive educational lessons, and 1-1 guidance with a qualified health coach. The goal is to help patients achieve weight loss and improved blood glucose control.
Digital health solutions like GlycoLeap have the potential to track, personalize and influence patient behaviors in an effective, engaging and scalable way. By linking patients with a personal health coach, GlycoLeap will complement medications for diabetes and prediabetes and contribute to diabetes prevention and improving chronic disease outcomes.
Beginning with China, Malaysia and Hong Kong, patients with diabetes and/or prediabetes, depending on the Marketing Authorization in each country, will be able to get access to GlycoLeap through their doctors later this year.
THE LARGER TREND
Earlier in August this year, life insurance group AIA formed an exclusive APAC partnership with Holmusk to provide AIA’s clients with a wider range of health coaching tools and solutions, leveraging the startup’s data-driven approach to health management, MobiHealthNews reported. Holmusk also announced a $21.5 million funding round, led by Optum Ventures (OV) and Health Catalyst Capital (HCC) and included existing investors Heritas Capital and other individuals in May 2020.
In December 2019, Merck signed a strategic collaboration with China’s one-stop healthcare ecosystem platform Ping An Good Doctor to jointly explore integrated solutions to advance intelligent healthcare in China.
Back in 2018, Merck also collaborated with Healthy Interactions, a population health company that offers both digital and in-person programs for chronic disease management and education to launch a diabetes management and engagement platform designed to support in-person counseling programs.
ON THE RECORD
“This is an important step in the right direction to provide patients in Asia-Pacific with a culturally-tailored digital tool for holistic care. We've never been more excited to work with Merck, who is fully aligned with our vision to improve patient outcomes and pioneer beyond-the-pill solutions for its patients,” said Dr Yau Teng Yan, Chief of Digital Therapeutics at Holmusk.
Dr Ulrike Hostalek, Executive Medical Director and Head of GMA General Medicine and Endocrinology at the Healthcare business sector of Merck, said: “Expanding the therapeutic offering beyond the medication is a key pillar of how we envisage to support patients and contribute to better treatment outcomes. Lifestyle intervention plays a critical role in controlling Impaired Fasting Glucose.
With Holmusk we are glad to have found a partner who is able to deliver an evidence-based and scalable program to relevant patients across South East Asia, a region highly impacted by Prediabetes. We are also very pleased to further develop our partnership with Holmusk after their successful participation at the "Merck 350 research challenge – Changing the world of Prediabetes" in 2018.”
