One concern is the changes in staffing levels to ensure adequate patient safety and care, especially during overnight shifts. One hospital has purchased all the single caregiver’s medical practices and eliminated any MD coverage in overnight hours. The only individual responsible for the entire hospital was a nurse clinician.

Patient care and staff, as well as other aspects of healthcare, have raised issues of concern for patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and federal agencies. How many patients are aware of the necessity for a hospital unit to be responsible for infection control? It is sometimes referred to as “universal precautions.” This becomes particularly concerning when patients are unaware of it. Research has shown that hospitals are a major contributor to infections that can be transmitted to the home after discharge.

Most cases of these infections occur within the first 48 hours of hospitalization. Many hospitals have implemented infection tracking and surveillance systems and strong prevention initiatives to address hospital-acquired infections. In the early 20th century, healthcare professionals began to pay more attention to hospital-acquired infections. The concern remains.

It is estimated that the National Health Service (NHS) spends around £1 billion each year treating 300,000 patients in England with healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs), according to NICE. Potential causes include cross-contamination among hospital staff or contaminated equipment and other things.

The Problem Persists

Hospitals and patients alike continue to worry about SSIs, even though there has been a great deal of research and development in medical treatments for them over the past few decades. One study found that the reported incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs) has stayed relatively constant over the last fifty years, which raises questions about their relevance and the necessity of investigating the financial impact of SSIs on healthcare systems and individual patients. How common is a hospital acquired infection?

One in thirty-one hospitalized patients experience a HAI at any one moment, with a daily cost of up to $123 million, according to the CDC. Whether the last patient in the room had an infection nearly quadruples the patient’s risk of contracting a HAI. In order to reduce HAIs, it is essential to clean and disinfect thoroughly. Usually, there is an infection control person, normally a nurse or someone of similar certification and education, who would make regular inspections of the areas and hold meetings with staff to address any areas of concern.

But what about individual medical practice routines? How might individual medical practice routines contribute to transporting infections from the office to another setting, and what actions can be taken to address this? How much research has been conducted on this? The question would seem to be related to how effective the hospital-acquired practices are regarding infection control at these sites.

Allow me to provide some personal information that I have gleaned from visits to various sites. Note that I was not there for any type of investigatory process but simply to accompany a patient.

At one facility, with about eight exam rooms and an entry through an 8-foot-high glass door without a handicap-accessible button, it was clear that infection control was not being addressed. The unit that was to dispense a hand cleanser had a note on it that said, “Not working.” So, hand cleansing at the door entrance was not possible.

A significant medical center in the area owns the practice and has now incorporated the patient caseloads from most individual practitioners’ practices into its infrastructure. The hospital informs any physician who does not wish to sell their practice that they will no longer receive referrals or privileges.

Inside, the exam chairs for patients were neither cleaned before nor after patient visits. A technician, not wearing gloves, returned sterilized instruments to a drawer. Despite our usual attention to patient privacy, they failed to close the exam room doors during procedures. It was the patient’s request that the door be closed that resulted in that action.

After completing the procedure, the attending physician, who was using instruments, failed to wash their hands before putting on surgical gloves and left everything strewn across a tray. Before and after the procedure, the physician did not disinfect the area that would be treated.

Additionally, the generated report falsely indicated that a blood pressure reading of 120/60 was recorded when, in fact, no one recorded any blood pressure. I can only suppose that the physicians use a boilerplate template, and it includes standard measurements that are never taken with each patient. Is this ethical?

I have also been to an ophthalmologist’s office where a sink has never been used, which is obvious because items are stored in the sink’s basin area. This person, without any gloves, touches patients’ faces and eyes regularly and has a large, long-standing practice in the area. He also does corrective eye surgery at an outpatient surgical center, where the staff behavior is unacceptable. They laugh and yell at extremely high volumes and seem to be under little management control.

What Can Patients Do?

Patient safety must be a concern for everyone, not just the patients themselves. Many things happen in medical settings that come under the purview of an agency or organization that certifies that facility. Usually, there is a means for patients to report safety concerns, and one is through the Joint Commission, which provides a way to address these matters.

Patient safety is of prime concern to the organization that certifies 15,000 healthcare organizations and has an agreement to verify 4,600 programs. Patients can directly address pertinent issues by searching for individual organizations on their website.

Often, the problem may be a lack of documentation or of receiving adequate information before any procedure or even suicide prevention. But it can also be a matter of infection control within an accredited facility.

You can also contact the US Department of Health and Human Services with any concerns about the quality of medical care. The website of the Quality Improvement Organizations, which serves Medicare patients, is another area where information or complaints may be reported.

Any patient, caregiver, or healthcare professional who has observed instances of care or treatment has recourse at the indicated organizations noted here. No one is helpless, and there are ways to address these issues.

The post Infection Control, Physicians’ Offices, and Our Health May Be in Serious Jeopardy appeared first on Medika Life.

No longer are the table stakes only about return on investment. Corporate leaders, NGOs and governments recognize that climate tech can serve two distinct roles, providing: 

1. A needed path to intervene around climate change
2. A business development laboratory for future products leading to profits.

Several prominent private equity groups have begun to recognize that climate technology and sustainability information platforms offer fertile ground for return on investment – promising returns for limited partners and essential benefits to the planet. In a recent visit to Israel, a nation noted for cultivating a bounty of start-up companies and “unicorns,” we met several of the country’s leading incubators, accelerators, and equity groups that have made climate tech their investment priority.

Seven Powerhouse Investment Groups

While many of the world’s leading equity groups have headquarters and branches in Israel, these seven organizations have prioritized climate tech. If you’re tracking the environmental innovation sector, make sure you’re following these venture capital groups that span the incubator, accelerator, and equity fields:

• Capital Nature is an Israeli private equity group – a front-runner – investing in environmentally focused startups and businesses. Launched as an incubator by the Israel Innovation Authority 10 years ago, Capital Nature, led by one of Israel’s top investors, business executives, and entrepreneurs, Anat Tsour, empowers entrepreneurs to develop scalable ventures by providing financial support, strategic guidance, and connections. The group actively seeks startups that address critical environmental challenges such as renewable energy, waste management, water conservation, and sustainable agriculture, fostering a vibrant ecosystem of green innovation in Israel. LINKEDIN

• Doral Energy-Tech Ventures has emerged as a key player shaping the landscape of climate technology. With its focus on sustainable innovation, Doral Energy-Tech Ventures has consistently invested in – and sought connections with – early-stage solutions that address pressing environmental challenges. Its strategic collaborations with startups and established companies have propelled the development and deployment of groundbreaking technologies spanning renewable energy, carbon capture, and efficient resource management. Roee Furman, managing director of Doral Energy-Tech Ventures, offers portfolio companies a welcomed combination of expertise and funding. Doral Energy-Tech Ventures is a lead global catalyst accelerating the transition to a more resilient and low-carbon future and the vital role private enterprises play in advancing climate tech. LINKEDIN

• Gravity Climate Fund focuses on climate change and sustainability. The fund was launched by one of Israel’s leading voices in climate technology, Bracha Halaf, formerly chief scientist at the Ministry of Energy. She brings her expertise as a principal at Qure Ventures, an OurCrowd fund, to the much-needed effort to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy by investing in early-stage startups and disruptive technologies. Gravity Climate Fund supports ventures that tackle climate challenges head-on, including renewable energy, energy storage, electric mobility, and sustainable infrastructure. Their strategic investments and support help drive technological advancements and create a more sustainable future.

• Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) is a government agency that promotes technological advancements and innovation across various sectors, especially the environment. The Authority supports initiatives focused on environmental sustainability, offering grants, funding programs, and mentorship to startups and research institutions – even supporting “laboratories” to field test promising innovations. The problems facing cleantech companies are not unique to Israel. IIA is sponsoring some 100 Israeli-based companies heading to COP28 in Dubai. IIA has a solid track record in clean technologies, resource efficiencies, and sustainable practices as the nexus among academia, industry, and government. LINKEDIN

• Mass Challenge Israel is the largest and most diverse zero-equity accelerator in Israel and has included a climate tech track among its operational priorities. Its comprehensive programs enable climate-focused startups to thrive by providing strategic mentorship, resources and connections to investors and industry leaders. Mass Challenge Israel accelerates the development of cutting-edge solutions addressing the world’s pressing climate challenges through collaboration between entrepreneurs and experts, and by doing so, contributes to the growth of sustainable technologies and the global effort to tackle climate change. LINKEDIN

• PLANETech is a nonprofit innovation community for climate change technologies – a joint venture of the Israel Innovation Institute and Consensus Business Group. Its power team, led by Noam Sonennberg, offers tailored acceleration programs, strategic mentorship, and access to a vast network of investors and industry leaders; PLANETech provides companies with the tools and resources needed to succeed in the complex world of capital and policy. Through its community, it emphasizes knowledge exchange so sponsored companies can refine solutions, scale their impact, and address the pressing challenges of climate change. PLANETech support is instrumental in laying the groundwork for groundbreaking technologies that contribute to a more sustainable and resilient future. LINKEDIN

• Start-Up Nation Central, an Israel-based non-profit organization, has fostered innovation and technological advancements in the field of climate tech. By connecting startups, researchers, investors, and corporates, they are accelerating the development and deployment of solutions addressing climate change challenges. Along with supporting companies at the forefront of climate tech innovation, Start-Up Nation Central has developed a visual inventory of 760 early-stage enterprises developing climate solutions. The go-to voice for the sector at Start-Up Nation is Yael Weisz Zilberman, who leads sector efforts.  LINKEDIN

The climate-tech community is tight-knit, and ready access to private equity leadership is a given. The conference platforms are many, and the post-panel conversation offers plenty of opportunities to connect and chat. Israeli-based private equity groups have shown leadership and gravitas in advancing environmental innovation.

Follow the Money? Not Quite.

Through financial support, strategic guidance, and collaboration, these entities nurture startups by opening their bank accounts and, perhaps more importantly, their contact databases. As Israel continues to prioritize sustainability and environmental innovation, investors and partners outside the “Start-Up Nation” will look at the hundreds of companies entering the climate tech sector and, most importantly, the private equity group portfolios doing the due diligence and counseling behind the scenes. Follow the money and the wisdom!

The post Israel Incubators, Accelerators and Private-Equity Groups Champion Pressing Climate-Tech Innovation appeared first on Medika Life.

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In the first Medika Life analysis of the always insightful Galen Growth data offering insight into the state of affairs of digital health – from partnerships to its practical application to the category’s financial health – we described the global environment as promising yet filled with “trepidation”:

Trepidation. That one word describes the uncertain economic climate that gripped corporate and investment decision-makers. If we are to believe the headlines, wallets have tightened – almost closed – and investment in life science and digital health, as a result, has declined. That go-to conclusion takes a simple approach to a complex investment strategy for the digital health sector that has shown great resilience year-after-after.

Now, the word to describe this new report is “Potential.” There is incredible potential for digital health to find its way within the US health system in multiple ways – from AI to ChatGPT to digital therapeutics – it’s potential remains great. Its path arduous.

The special report prepared for ViVE2023 shifts from its usual global 30,000 feet analysis to a special meeting theme – digital health and the US health system – particularly on the provider side.  The data released during the first full day of ViVE as an analysis of hospital activities around digital health –where the rubber meets the road for many of these ventures – practice application of innovation. Galen Growth of their FINN Partners has mined the insights that entrepreneurs, their investors, health system chief information, and innovation officers need to study closely! 

The data are essential for ventures, incubators and accelerators to mine, determining whether the digital health category and the massive US health provider system are working together to evaluate their activities’ effectiveness and advance the nation’s wellbeing.

Galen Growth is among the world’s trusted digital health private market data, intel and insights firms for industry and investors. They remain the only specialist digital health innovation partner, able to bring together private market venture data, intel and insights platform giving its clients more applicable information than any other platform

In the US, some 417 Health Systems account for nearly 3,500 hospitals. More than 1,600 independent hospitals are the backbone of healthcare delivery in the country and – in addressing in-patient care — a significant contributor to health outcomes.  But, many of these institutions – particularly those in remote and rural communities – are ailing. They need a bolus infusion of health innovation to access patient data, reimbursement and basic diagnosis and treatment priorities.  Digital health – from EMRs to remote access technologies is part of the critical-care, system-wide treatment.

“More than 50% of the 417 US health systems are struggling financially, impacted by the rapidly rising labor cost and shrinking HCP workforce. Meanwhile, demand from consumers and patients continues to increase,” says Julien de Salaberry, founder and CEO of Galen Growth. “Health systems and hospitals have to make increasingly difficult decisions about their healthcare delivery capabilities and seek technology solutions to increase productivity and build capacity while retaining high standards of care,” he adds.

Unless otherwise stated, all data are exclusively sourced from the Galen Growth proprietary

database HealthTech AlphaTM – the leading global digital health intelligence and analytics on-demand platform. HealthTech Alpha now tracks more than 300 million data points and has coverage exceeding 13,000 digital health ventures across the globe.

Here are the core takeaways from the Galen Growth/FINN Partners – ViVE2023 Report – but read the entire report to mine its full value:

Partnerships

In 2022, 31% of all global partnerships with Digital Health ventures founded in the United States were built within the U.S. Health Systems and hospitals– more partnerships than any other industry vertical engaged with Digital Health.

Clinical Evidence

Among the ventures that are partnering with the U.S. Health Systems ventures focused on Research and Clinical Trials take the top strategic area spot, with 69% of the ventures having Evidence Signal > 40, indicating significant Clinical Evidence. Ventures in the strategic areas of Diagnosis and Treatment captured 40 and 36% shared, respectively.

Health Systems

Galen Growth has recorded more than 1,400 partnerships globally between Digital Health ventures and Health systems in the United States since 2012, with only 10 Health Systems recording a Digital Health portfolio larger than 15 ventures. More than 560 hospitals and Health Systems are active, but only the top 65 most active Health Systems are accountable for 50% of all recorded partnerships.

Oncology

Oncology takes the top position across the therapeutic areas, with more than 30% of U.S. Health System is partnering with ventures in this area—cardiovascular Diseases are in second place, with 20%. Looking across the top 25 most active Health Systems, the top 13 therapeutic areas were represented in more than half of the Digital Health portfolios.

Portfolio Size

Across the U.S., there is a 2.1x difference in the Digital Health portfolio size between the most active Health Systems and the most extensive Health Systems. While the largest Health Systems focus on infrastructure improvement and treatment partnerships, the most active systems are partnering more in diagnosis and have a higher share of digital tools for research (incl. clinical trials). Both groups have significant activity in Digital Health tools for Prevention and Wellness.

How is the digital health sector doing overall despite the energy and buzz?  According to today’s Galen Growth report, its most significant potential awaits to be fully realized. Julien de Salaberry summarizes:

“Since 2012, US health systems have disclosed more than 1,400 partnerships globally with digital health ventures, with only 10 Health Systems recording a digital health portfolio larger than 15 ventures. More than 560 hospitals and Health Systems are active, but only the top 65 most active Health Systems are accountable for 50% of all recorded partnerships.”

Once again, Galen Growth has given us a wealth of data to mine and contemplate. The potential for digital health – as a tool to accelerate access to life-saving information and care remains incredibly promising.

The post Galen Growth Issues Special ViVE2023 US Health System Digital Health Report appeared first on Medika Life.

Trepidation. That one word describes the uncertain economic climate that grips corporate and investment decision-makers. If we are to believe headlines, wallets have tightened, and investment in digital health and health tech, as a result, has taken a nose dive. That go-to conclusion overly simplifies complex investment strategies in a sector that has shown great resilience year-after-after.

Two-Year Pandemic Funding Spree Fizzles Out

After an extraordinary two-year pandemic funding spree, there are apparent shifts in how investors make economic decisions. In this year of geopolitical turmoil and uncertain financial performance, digital health remains integral to the future of the health economy and in addressing public health pressure points. However, the development stages in which funds are directed, therapeutic categories selected, provider systems that demand transformation, and the regions where innovators establish headquarters are now key investment decision factors.

COVID served as an urgent sector testing ground. But the obsession with COVID must not overshadow the possibilities for continued growth in new areas of medicine and sustainability. As life-saving efforts around patient care and drug development ground to an almost complete halt, technologies that enhanced telemedicine and remote patient monitoring became the “no going back” path to pursue medical practice and innovation. This is just the beginning of the surge in how these technologies will transform human and planetary health.

Also, the human body – our well-being and survival- is biological and ecological.  We are beginning to see first-hand the harsh realities of climate change and these stormy reminders that the planet doesn’t need people; people need the planet. Follow shared urgencies, and you find value investors at the earlier stages seeking equity and influence.  Corporate environment, social and governance (ESG) priorities are becoming new due diligence points for investors as they access technologies and services of significant importance to governments and industries that have pledged commitment to net zero policies.

Tel Aviv Joins the Medika EcoHealth and Health Travelogue

While the digital health sector has grown significantly during the past decade, it must be mobilized to address unmet needs. From $2 billion invested in 2011, that figure morphed 28-fold to $56 billion in 2021. In the shadow of the COVID pandemic, unprecedented investment poured into digital health during this two-year window, accelerating the adoption of AI, AR, remote patient monitoring, telehealth, digital therapeutics, wearables, VR and more. These are all technologies Israeli entrepreneurs have called upon to improve care, track patient needs and reduce costs.

Tel Aviv, Israel – the first spot on our ecohealth and health tech travelogue – is taking the lead globally by combining the talents of biologists and engineers. Among the key people to watch in this market is Levi Shapiro, founder of mHealth Israel – a not-for-profit community of almost 20,000 innovators – from start-ups to established players.  Shapiro is more than the curator for this community. He is Israel’s unofficial ambassador for innovative ideas.

Collaboration is the SynBio Power Ingredient

Among the hottest new areas for investment – just coming onto our radar screen – is synthetic biology or SynBio.  Experts such as Avital Adler, Ph.D., Yuval Dorfan, Lior Nissim, Gita Reinitz, and Tamir Tuller are among the leaders in this growing collaborative movement to unlock solutions to the mega planetary challenges. Pearl Cohen, a leading Tel Aviv-based global law firm representing emerging innovation companies, is hosting SynBio 2023.

While too many headlines cite a significant drop in digital health private equity and venture capital investment, the magnetic pull to “follow the money” is misleading.  More “value” is being infused into the digital health category – monies are entering at earlier stages and targeting specific spots on the global innovation map.  Early in translates into more equity and influence. Follow the money and where the money is headed are linked.

If dollars and Euros are the only indicators of enthusiasm and commitment, it is easy to see why hand-wringing news stories prevail. Look at all the metrics that determine a vibrant sector. Look at the regions where funds are being directed and at what stages to resolve what broad–global – challenges. The cities in the Medika Life “Hot Spot Series” will explore what’s happening and some of the companies that are working to sustain human and planetary health.

Israel is an excellent example of that positive narrative.  From 2021 – the acknowledged boom year of capital infusion into the category – to the supposed global drop in investment – Israeli did not see a noticeable decline in private equity investment.  It continues to be a value-driven market and a testing ground for innovation.  We’re watching several Israeli-headquartered private equity funds, including aMoon, Our Crowd, Start-Up Nation, Welltech Ventures, and others, to see where they will place their bets – our future – in the coming months. They are active and strong.

“Israel is a paradigm-challenging innovation culture. Disrupting a conservative industry such as healthcare requires this kind of mentality of not accepting the way things have been done forever,” reflects Eran Eshed, co-founder and CEO of Fairtility, a cutting-edge company using AI, clinical, high-tech, software development, and business leadership experience to rapidly introduce new technologies and applications to the IVF process.

Among the hot Israeli companies on our Medika Life EcoHealth and Health Tech Hot Spot, radar screen are these six covering decentralized clinical trials, environment and sustainability and patient adherence.  During the week of February 6^th, we will be onsite and meeting with these and other company leaders – hearing about their ideas and plans to improve people’s and the planet’s health and sustainability. 

Six Israeli Health Tech Companies Worth Watching

Next week, we head to Tel Aviv, Israel, and look forward to meeting companies on the leading edge of health innovation.  Here are six companies on our radar screen – we’re planning on meeting more and updating this list.

Belong.Life is a leading global tech provider of high-engagement social and professional care management platforms and patient communities, with more than one million users providing and receiving emotional support, advice, and information from peers and health professionals. Plus, as more patients with serious health concerns seek access to clinical trial options, Belong offers a clinical trial matching service that analyzes all available clinical trials around the globe in real-time, matching patients to trials relevant to their diagnosis and location. The Belong Beating Cancer Together app is used by almost 1 in 10 U.S. cancer patients, and 1 in 5 US-based multiple sclerosis patients are using BelongMS.

BloomX is addressing the challenge of crop pollination and sustainability. Farmers and crop growers rely on insects and honeybees for pollination, which plays an integral role in crop and fruit development and higher crop yields. Due to parasites and habitat loss, the honeybee population is decreasing, leading to a crisis that impacts crop production and food supply. BloomX is an early-stage ag-tech startup that has developed bio-mimicking pollination technology. This AI-based tech solves significant challenges by improving crop productivity and quality over the pollination process and supporting sustainability goals.

Enzymit may have cracked the price and time code for enzyme development and functionality.  Inventing new enzymes for bioproduction, the company is poised to replace outdated, pollution-producing chemical manufacturing with validated green production methods efficiently and cost-effectively. The Enzymit proprietary technology platform uses deep-learning algorithms and high-throughput testing methods to rapidly screen billions of sequence changes for every single experiment. The company can uncover and develop novel proteins for varied applications, such as fine chemical manufacturing, food and beverages, health and nutrition, biodefense and energy.

Sweetch is tackling chronic conditions that consume the health system and providers using the transformational power of AI, behavioral science, and its “Just-in-Time-Adaptive-Intervention” (JITAI) technology. Medication non-compliance results in more than 100,000 preventable deaths and $100 billion in preventable medical costs annually. The company has developed a precision engagement solution for chronic conditions through hyper-personalized communication with individual patients powered by. The Sweetch solution is cost-effective, sustainable and scalable, offering a ready-made solution for healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers globally.

UBQ Materials is transforming unrecyclable and organic waste into bio-based thermoplastic using advanced conversion technology. The company diverts unsorted household waste from landfills and incineration, protecting the natural environment and people’s health. Water, soil, and air quality suffer when waste is sent to landfills or incineration. It is well known that there is increased respiratory risk for people residing near incineration plants. Also, there is significant research on microplastics in humans resulting from plastic pollutants in the water supply. UBQ Materials is among the pioneers engaging the health and planet sustainability challenge by focusing on renewable material solutions.

X-trodes has developed the world’s first multimodality dry wearable technology for advanced electrophysiological monitoring and analytics so that people with health concerns can be diagnosed in their home setting. X-trodes technology is a smart skin conforming to inaccessible areas of the body and provides a user-friendly solution to generate data. This new approach monitors EEG (brain activity), EOG (eye movement), EMG (muscle stimulation), and ECG/EKG (cardiac monitoring).  Applications include sleep, fitness, sports, rehab and general health, and specialized monitoring targeted to specific markets.

We hope to feature other companies in this special Health Innovation Hot Spots Tel Aviv Report. We will continue to use the Galen Growth/FINN Partners “Global State of Digital Health” as our guide in highlighting innovation that can improve people’s and the planet’s well-being.

The post COVID Became a MedTech Proving Ground Pointing to Planetary Health Priorities appeared first on Medika Life.

The digital health sector has grown significantly during the past decade, primarily mobilized to address unmet health-system and care needs. From $2 billion invested in 2011, that figure morphed 28-fold to $56 billion in 2021. In the shadow of the COVID pandemic, unprecedented investment poured into digital health during this two-year window, accelerating the adoption of AI, remote patient monitoring, telehealth, digital therapeutics, wearables, VR and more.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT HERE

Galen Growth and FINN Partners have collaborated – for a second time – to offer the entrepreneurial invention and investment industry a wealth of data that can guide financing life-sustain – perhaps saving – enterprises.  With this detailed report, data is shared not as “one-off” ideas but as puzzle pieces assembled to provide actional insight into a dynamic and evolving digital innovation sector that offers the transformative power to find effective detours around health ecosystem fragmentation.

The Damocles Sword of Access and Outcomes

The two companies avoided hype and biases to create this analysis enabling investors or potential business partners to weigh subjective decisions alongside objective facts in recognizing that the fragmented health ecosystem centers around preserving the system itself are vital to helping product innovators and patients navigate the healthcare labyrinth. That economic return on investment is weighted along with patient experience and outcomes.  This is the Damocles sword that inventors and investors must always consider – reimbursement that ensures access to care and meaningful and measurable outcomes.

While digital health venture capital fell short of the exorbitant funding of 2021, it closed ahead of 2020 levels. A closer look at the year-on-year development of funding value by funding stages shows that funding in 2022 nearly maintained the level of 2021 for the Early Stage and Series A funding rounds. However, it lagged behind the 2021 values across late-stage enterprise funding.

Investors learned and began to put their due diligence into action – targeting their energies toward specific geographies, sectors and needs (e.g., clinical trials).  They looked for therapeutic categories receptive to digital health innovation.  Within the disease-specific investments, oncology saw the highest participation of investors (9%), followed by mental health (7%) and women’s health (7%).  C-Suite leaders and their funders will do well to study the report data and to determine next steps.

Just Facts – 250+ Million Data Points Analyzed

While other studies highlight “media grabbers” and numbers disconnected from insight into where the money is going — from the investment stage to disease states— The Global State of Digital Health connected more than 250 million critical analytic dots. This report will guide C-Suite leaders, business development and therapeutic area heads, private equity funds, and financial analysts to make savvy decisions that drive return on investment—whether the goals be financial or patient care.

After an extraordinary two-year pandemic funding spree, there are apparent shifts in how investors place their economic bets. In this year of geopolitical turmoil and uncertain financial performance, digital health remains vital to the future of the health economy and in addressing public health press points. However, the development stages in which funds are directed, therapeutic categories selected, provider systems that demand transformation, and the regions where innovators establish headquarters are now investment factors.

Bottomline, funding levels exceed the pre-pandemic values. Digital health ventures are busy – submitting more than double the number of regulatory filings in 2021 than before the COVID era. There is a dramatic increase in partnering activity over 2021. If dollars and Euros are the only indicators of energy and commitment, it is easy to see why hand-wringing news stories prevail. Look at all the metrics that determine a vibrant sector.

In combining investment, regulatory filings for new product introductions, and partnerships, it is apparent that 2022 has been a formative period. Investors and innovators are putting in place the processes and systems – the people and science – that drive adoption and market traction. Investors are no longer looking at the sector as monolithic.

Putting the Right People and Processes on the Innovation Bus

If 2021 was the year of exuberance, 2022 was, as Jim Collins, author of the classic business bestseller “Good to Great,” dedicated to putting the right people – leaders and digital health sectors – on the bus. For example, medical diagnostics ventures had an exceptional year by representing 12 percent of regulatory filings of Digital Health ventures across the globe, taking the top spot for ventures with significant Clinical Evidence (Evidence Signal >40), and capturing the highest investment volume share (17%), with the total cluster funding value falling short of 2021 by 16 percent.

As the report suggests, 2022 is a turning point for digital health – a shift from Digital Health 1.0 to the 2.0 era, with Digital Health evolving into a more mature ecosystem. The recent data reaffirm that perspective and a fast-paced realignment occurring within the sector.

Looking at the past year, it is evident that investor mindsets matured in 2022, and lessons learned were applied. Obstacles – from regulatory hurdles to payer pushback – made incubators, accelerators and private equity groups much more selective in their investment and partnership decisions. They looked beyond “invention” to innovation – where the market seeks to embrace a new product and rally to Foreword its access within the health ecosystem.

The 2022 “Global State of Digital Health Report” does far more than examine monies invested in the broad digital health category — it offers a guide for decision-makers on how multiple data points translate into market shifts and how to pinpoint trends that provide predictive insight and best practices in investment strategies, across regions, Digital Health categories, therapeutic areas and technologies.

Decisions will be made based on this collaborative effort. This report offers a new perspective – the data this report provides – finding the balance between hype and hope to offer balanced optimism is a guide.

The post Digital Health Innovation Continues to Press Forward at Warp Speed appeared first on Medika Life.

NEW YORK, Jan. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — — The Galien Foundation, the premier global institution dedicated to honor innovators in life sciences, today announced a new Prix Galien Award category dedicated to “Incubators, Accelerators and Equity.”  This newest honor acknowledges the role played by these institutions in guiding the next wave of innovators by offering a range of mentoring skills including clinical trial design expertise, legal counsel, lab space, professional development, peer-to-peer support, free access to leading advisors and economic support to advance life science innovation.

Globally, incubators and accelerators have stepped in to play a pivotal role in the development of innovative solutions to the healthcare sector challenges of the 21st century. There are more than 4,000 incubators and accelerators worldwide, and some 1,800 in the United States alone. Academic institutions, major medical centers, large life science companies have launched incubators and accelerators to offer a guiding hand in the future of innovation – supporting biotech, digital health, health information and medical device start-ups – to have a stronger influence on the future of ideas that can improve human health.

“The addition of this new Prix Galien category reinforces the critical importance of academia and industry insight and experience to support the future and adaptation of bold, life-changing ideas that can improve humans’ wellness and health,” said Bernard Poussot, Director, Roche Holding, Former Chairman & CEO, Wyeth, Chairman of the Prix Galien, who leads the Prix Galien Start-Up & Digital Awards Category. “Galien is at the forefront of measuring the power of ideas and innovation to impact human life.  Many of the world’s life-changing ideas accelerate from drawing board to major companies’ board rooms thanks to support from academia, industry mentors and private equity business guidance.”

“The Galien Foundation curates the best jurors, with decades of proven experience in the industry categories that we recognize for outstanding achievement. The Foundation creates an environment that nurtures and honors institutions for championing biomedical, digital health, and medical device excellence,” said Bruno Cohen, Chairman of The Galien Foundation.  “Science and innovation are fragile states that require support at different levels to press forward and succeed.  This new category is an essential part of the life-giving and sustaining innovation environment.”

“Today, an innovator’s connection to an accelerator, incubator or equity organization is a strong indicator for success,” said Gil Bashe, Chair Global Health, FINN Partners, and Prix Galien Incubators, Accelerators and Equity Committee Sub-Committee Chair. “Money itself is not sufficient to understand how to design the right clinical trials for regulatory approval, navigate the complexities of the payer system or build a marketing plan. The wisdom and experience offered by incubators, accelerators and hands-on equity groups is the game-changer to address unmet patient needs.”

Judges will evaluate submissions using these seven criteria alongside a candidate’s 800-word entry together with supporting documents: 

1. Information about the program/fund, its origins, philosophy, clinical or sector focus (e.g., biotechnology, digital health, medical device) and length of support
2. Background on how you accept, support and address the needs of candidates or portfolio companies accepted
3. Explain how you benchmark success during the incubation or acceleration or funding period
4. Note resources provided to companies in the program – e.g., financial, housing, clinical, legal and communications
5. Outline financial structure with entrepreneurs into the future – equity or royalties
6. If applicable, offer information on the number of funds raised for your cohort of portfolio businesses – Series A or B and other funding rounds
7. Examples of businesses that have “graduated” or “exited” from the incubator and/or accelerator

To learn more about the new award category and nominate an outstanding Accelerator, Incubator and Venture Fund demonstrating an ability to advance health innovation, please visit http://candidates.prix-galien-usa.com/

Prix Galien Start-Up Digital Health Category
Bernard Poussot – Start-Up & Digital Awards Jury Chair
Director, Roche Holding, Former Chairman & CEO, Wyeth
Chairman

Prix Galien Incubators, Accelerators and Equity Category Sub Committee

Gil Bashe
Managing Partner, Chair Global Health, Finn Partners
Sub-Committee Jury Chair

Ron Cohen, M.D.
Founder, President & CEO, Acordia Therapeutics

Jamey Edwards
Former CEO, Emergent Medical Associates

Amir Kalali, M.D.
Chairman & Chief Curator, CNS Summit/Co-Chair, Decentralized Trial Research Alliance

Michelle Longmire, M.D.
Co-Founder & CEO, Medable Inc.

Cheryl Pegus, M.D.
Executive Vice President of Health & Wellness, Walmart

James Prutow, J.D., MBA
Advisory Partner – Life Sciences, Molecular Diagnostics, Global Healthcare, PwC Consulting

About The Galien Foundation
The Galien Foundation fosters, recognizes and rewards excellence in scientific innovation to improve the state of human health. Our vision is to be the catalyst for the development of the next generation of innovative treatments and technologies that will impact the state of medical practice and save lives.

The Foundation oversees and directs activities in the US for the Prix Galien, an international awards program dedicated to progress through innovative medicines development, with chapters in 14 countries and Africa. The Prix Galien was created in 1970 by Roland Mehl in honor of Galien, the father of medical science and modern pharmacology. Worldwide, the Prix Galien is regarded as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in biopharmaceutical research.

For more information, visit www.galienfoundation.org.

Follow the Foundation on social media: https://www.facebook.com/GalienFoundation/ 
https://twitter.com/GalienFdn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-galien-foundation/

SOURCE The Galien Foundation

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