Healthtech in the GCC Countries: Focus on Infrastructure and Export Capabilities

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) brings together six Arab countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates 

When one reads about the GCC countries, there’s nothing but the impression of prosperity: high investments, determination, and enthusiasm in tech-supported healthcare. 

The spending on healthcare by the GCC governments is on an astronomical rise. From a regionwide US$2.4 billion in 2016, it rose to more than US$30 billion in 2021 and is projected to surpass US$104 billion this year, according to a report from the UAE Ministry of Economy. 

In this episode, Pilar Fernandez Hermida  International Go-to-Market expert with 20+ years of experience launching sales & partner ecosystem strategies, talks about the potential of the Middle East and MENA region for healthtech companies, the culture in the Middle East, how to interpret different style of communication here, what are the common entrepreneurial misconceptions, and where to find opportunities. Pilar says that the entrepreneurial spirit here is 10-times as strong as in the US, and that biotech and drug development are the next thing to watch for in the region.

www.facesofdigitalhealth.com

Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/

Show notes:

• [00:02:00] Pilar Fernandez Hermida, an expert in healthcare market strategies, shares insights from Abu Dhabi.
• [00:04:00] Analysis of the healthcare infrastructure development in GCC post-pandemic.
• [00:08:00] The role of expats in the Middle East’s healthcare transformation.
• [00:10:00] Public-private partnerships as key opportunities.
• [00:12:00] Cultural considerations for startups in the GCC.
• [00:14:00] Misconceptions about the Middle Eastern healthcare market.
• [00:18:00] Building long-term relationships in business.
• [00:20:00] Navigating diverse cultural communication in healthcare.
• [00:24:00] Comparing the entrepreneurial spirit in the Middle East with the U.S. and Europe.
• [00:28:00] Strategic advice for healthcare entrepreneurs targeting the GCC.
• [00:30:00] Importance of understanding regulations and digital maturity in MENA.
• [00:32:00] Future potential in biotech and digital health in the GCC.
• [00:36:00] The convergence of digital health and biotech.

DTx in 2024: Where Are We With Business and Reimbursement Models? (Andy Molnar)

In the last few years, we’ve witnessed a whirlwind of developments in the world of Digital Therapeutics (DTx) – from FDA approvals sparking optimism for the industry, to the establishment of regulatory frameworks in countries like Germany, France, and Belgium.

However, in 2023, the industry faced a stark reality check, marked by the fall of some key players and healthcare systems’ hesitancy towards embracing and financing these innovations. This turbulence has reshaped strategies and raised critical questions about the future of DTx.

🔍 In this episode learn more about:

📊 The current state of the DTx industry in 2024,

🗣️ Key debates of digital therapies industry players,

🌐 Advocacy efforts pushing the boundaries for global adoption,

🚀 Strategies to accelerate the integration of digital therapies worldwide.

Newsletter: fodh.substack.com

Website: www.facesofdigitalhealth.com

What Factors Should You Take into Account when Designing ePROs – Electronic Patient Reported Outcomes Solutions?

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) have become increasingly integral in healthcare for assessing the effectiveness of treatments from the patient’s perspective. It sounds like a reasonable step in improving clinical research and care provision, but gathering data can be more difficult then you may think. It isn’t easy to get to marginalized communities. There are language barriers in collecting data. There are cultural aspects that impact responses. So, how can you design useful electronic solutions for patient-reported outcomes? Hear from Mustafa Ali Syed, Researcher at the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, and Ben James, Co-founder/Chief Design Officer at uMotif – ePRO, an engagement platform designed to power clinical and real-world research. Both are co-authors of a recently published paper titled Exploring the Cross-cultural Acceptability of Digital Tools for Pain Self-reporting.

www.facesofdigitalhealth.com

Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/

Show notes:

00:00:00 Why Do PROs Matter?

00:04:00 Evolution of Data Collection

00:06:00 Importance of Diversity in Clinical Trials

00:08:00 Ethnicity, Culture, and Pain Perception

00:12:00 The Role of Technology in PROs

00:14:00 Designing Inclusive Digital Solutions

00:20:00 Challenges in Engaging Targeted Populations

00:22:00 Language and Communication Barriers

00:26:00 The Future of PRO Research

DTx in Belgium: It’s Time to Embed Digital Therapeutics in Clinical Pathways

Did you know that Belgium has had an idea for classifying and validating digital therapeutics since 2018? A clear framework was formed with all main stakeholders involved – from health insurance to the industry. So why are we not hearing more about DTx in Belgium? In this discussion you will hear from Dr. Steven Vandeput –  he is the Advisor for Digital MedTech and Services & Technologies Home Assistance in Belgium; he is managing the mHealthBelgium portal and, since 2019, has been a representative for beMedTech, the sector federation that represents the industry of medical technologies in Belgium. 

Website: www.facesofdigitalhealth.com

Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/

Show notes:

00:00 – Introduction

01:45 – Digital Therapeutics in Belgium

03:50 – Belgium’s Healthcare Framework Development

06:00 – The Validation Pyramid and Reimbursement System

08:00 – Fate of Pilot Projects and Their Impact

10:00 – Utilization of mHealth Belgium Portal

12:00 – Challenges in Reimbursement and Financing

14:00 – Prospects for Digital Therapeutic Companies

16:00 – Belgium’s Approach to Financing Digital Health

18:00 – Anticipations for the Digital Health Field

20:00 – The Evolving European Frameworks

22:00 – Impact of Political Decisions and Healthcare System Integration

24:00 – The Future of mHealth Belgium Platform

In the Rapid Advancements in Oncology Treatments, How Can Healthcare IT Support Clinicians? (Elekta)”

The field of oncology treatments is advancing very fast with innovative therapies and approaches on the market every day. It can get very tricky to support these therapies from an IT perspective, which is what you will hear more about in this discussion. I spoke with Anish Patankar, SVP and GM of Elekta’s Oncology Software Solutions, and we discussed 

• How to go about the US hospital market, 
• Development in software for oncology treatments,
• Challenges in scaling healthcare IT software across markets. 

Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/

www.facesofdigitalhealth.com

Show notes:

[00:00:00] Introduction to Elekta

[00:02:00] Elekta’s Global Presence

[00:04:00] US Market Focus

[00:06:00] Growth in Developing Countries

[00:08:00] Segmentation and Technology Adoption in the US

[00:10:00] Untapped Needs and Opportunities in the US

[00:12:00] Elekta’s Use of AI

[00:14:00] Patient Feedback and Clinical Decision Making

[00:18:00] Navigating Legacy Software in Healthcare IT

[00:20:00] Modernization and Customer Satisfaction

[00:22:00] Global Standardization and Regulation Challenges

[00:24:00] Interoperability and Open Ecosystem

[00:26:00] Future of Oncology Market Development: the interplay between medications and radiation, and the potential of theranostics.

[00:28:00] Exciting Technologies in Healthcare Beyond Oncology: personalized healthcare, digital twins

[00:30:00] Cautions for the Future: The critical debate on the balance between innovation speed and safety, particularly with generative AI.

How Do Pharma and Digital Health Converge in 2024? (Amir Lahav)

In 2023, Insilico Medicine—a biotech company developing medications with a heavy reliance on AI—used AI to develop an experimental drug for the incurable lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The treatment is in mid-stage trials in the US and China, with some results expected in early 2025.

Biotech is one of the fields that has been using generative AI for years, even before ChatGPT brought the technology to public view.

Latest technology is essential in drug development. However, the convergence of digital health and pharma seems less clear. Digital health apps started gaining popularity around 2015, and at that time, it seemed all pharma companies were trying to figure out what they could gain from apps, so they financed accelerators and incubators one after the other.

We’ve seen many ideas about how Pharma should or could use digital health.

In the last few years, there have been many notorious cases when partnerships failed—a seemingly unicorn, Proteus, which designed digital sensors-equipped pills, went bankrupt in 2019 after Otsuka Pharmaceuticals pulled out of a funding round. Pear Therapeutics, the guiding star in the DTx space and the leader in FDA-cleared prescription digital therapeutics, partnered with Novartis, but in the end, the company filed for bankruptcy in 2023. So where is Pharma in relation to digital health and digital therapeutics? In this episode, Amir Lahav shares his thoughts about the impact of AI on biotech, the state of decentralized clinical trials, and the potential of technology for improved drug development, clinical trials, and patient responses.

Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/

www.facesofdigitalhealth.com