Here, GOLD reviews the top stories in health technology from the past few months, highlighting four innovative examples of how tech is changing treatment landscapes and patient experiences today
Words by Isabel O’Brien
BioNTech splashes big bucks on InstaDeep
BioNTech has acquired leading artificial intelligence company InstaDeep for £362m to strengthen its drug discovery and development capabilities. With a focus on immunotherapies and vaccines, the alliance will add 240 highly-skilled professionals from InstaDeep to BioNTech’s workforce. This includes teams in AI, machine learning, bioengineering, data science and software development. The acquisition follows a successful string of collaborations between the two companies, which began pre-pandemic in 2019.
Abbott’s mixed reality twist for blood donation
Abbott has developed a first-of-its-kind mixed reality headset to improve the experience of giving blood by allowing donors to transport themselves into tranquil settings during their appointment. The headset, which harnesses Microsoft HoloLens 2 technology, transports users to gardens full of trees or flowers and plays soothing music to ease anxiety. Abbott hopes it will encourage more young people to donate blood and prevent shortages. Currently, only 3% of the US population donates blood each year.
Click Therapeutics’ migraine mission
Click Therapeutics has received Breakthrough Device Designation from FDA for its digital therapeutic to treat episodic migraines. The neurobehavioral intervention platform uses machine learning and data analytics to direct users to apps that could prevent migraine episodes. The apps work by helping users to develop new behaviour patterns and routines to avoid migraine triggers. The designation means the device is considered to have the potential to be a more effective treatment over the existing standard of care.
Tidepool Loop coming to Apple Watch
Tidepool Loop, an application allowing diabetes patients to track and instigate insulin delivery from a compatible Apple Watch, has received FDA clearance. This first-of-its-kind project is an automated insulin dosing app intended for the management of type 1 diabetes for people age six years and older. Iterated from a patient initiative, the app links with integrated continuous glucose monitors and alternate controller enabled pumps so patients can monitor and manage their levels from Apple Watches and other devices.
