Multinational biotechnology firm Biogen has confirmed it should shut down Biogen Digital Health, a world unit of the biotech firm, and pull out of a examine with Apple. Nonetheless, the corporate says it should proceed to combine some digital capabilities into different features of its enterprise.
“As our CEO Chris Viehbacher talked about when he announced Fit for Growth, a part of the initiative is eradicating layers within the group, turning into much less complicated and extra agile, and making strategic investments in inside and exterior innovation. In consequence, some features are evolving their working fashions,” a Biogen spokesperson advised MobiHealthNews in an electronic mail.
Biogen Digital Well being launched in 2021, and it employs round 150 folks in Boston, Zurich and Paris. The corporate focuses on merging biology and know-how to enhance neurology, immunology and psychological well being care.
The biotech big mentioned digital drugs and well being applied sciences will stay a vital a part of its plan to de-risk and speed up its analysis and improvement engine and its business operations.
“Biogen Digital Well being is evolving. We’re at the moment assessing our digital technique and potential future investments within the area, and we shall be integrating sure digital capabilities from BDH into related features. We are going to proceed to advance various efforts, akin to improvement of digital biomarkers for Parkinson’s and early AD [Alzheimer’s disease], in addition to our digital options for uncommon ailments. Going ahead, we’ll leverage exterior capabilities and partnerships to seize advances within the discipline which can be carefully linked to our evolving R&D and business priorities and areas of focus,” the spokesperson mentioned.
In 2021, the corporate started a study with Apple to investigate iPhone and Apple Watch sensor information and metrics to distinguish people with regular cognition from these with delicate cognitive impairment to create a cognitive wellness rating that follows shifts in cognitive efficiency over time.
“Relating to the Instinct examine with Apple, although it has been discontinued because of Biogen’s R&D prioritization efforts, due to the higher-than-expected degree of engagement of members, the examine stays properly positioned to handle its main targets. Preliminary outcomes assist the feasibility, acceptability and functionality to succeed in underserved and underrepresented populations and to reliably measure cognition and conduct in real-world unsupervised settings. Further insights from the Examine shall be revealed at a later time,” Biogen advised MobiHealthNews.
THE LARGER TREND
Biogen announced it completed its acquisition of California-based pharma firm Reata earlier this week for a reported $7.3 billion. The acquisition provides SKYCLARYS to the corporate’s uncommon illness portfolio, the one FDA-approved remedy for Friedreich’s ataxia within the U.S.
