A Dubai-based healthtech startup has partnered with Novo Nordisk to conduct what is believed to be one of the first value-based reimbursement model trials in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
GluCare.Health – named among the 50 most funded startups in the region Forbes Middle East at $20 million – and the Danish multinational pharmaceutical company will begin its partnership with a 150-patient weight management pilot program in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The trial, scheduled to begin in September 2022, aims to study the treatment outcomes of practical patient care and data-driven remote care compared to traditional models prevalent in the country.
larger context
Integrating new digital biomarkers with existing therapeutics, GluCare.Health’s six-month program will reportedly involve a multidisciplinary clinical team, including a health coach, nutritionist, nurse or patient educator and endocrinologist. Will be. Wearables and remote continuous data monitoring will form the digital aspect of the startup.
“Novo Nordisk UAE will provide the medicinal component of the weight management programme, thereby underwriting their share of the cost of the project, meaning they will pay the cost of the program to the patient along with GluCare.Health. Head of Weight Loss Performance indicators have not been met,” said Ihsan Almarzooqi, co-founder and managing director of GluCare.Health Healthcare IT News“This type of discount is not common in the pharma industry, and it is a new approach for Novo Nordisk UAE. “Through this partnership, Novo Nordisk is validating the program as well as participating in the value-based approach to healthcare that we have long advocated.”
Subject to minimum requirements “in terms of engagement and adherence to the protocol to be followed by the patient,” GluCare.Health and Novo Nordisk will cover all or a portion of the cost of care, should the participant undergo surgery to repair at least 10% of his or her body. Should not lose weight by the end of the test.
why it matters
According to the company, the pilot program “could be widely adopted potentially saving the UAE economy up to $3.6 billion per year.”
Ali Hashmi, co-founder and chairman of GluCare.Health, elaborated: “Obesity management is generally not paid for by insurance companies in the UAE, but serious comorbidities related to or caused by obesity are a major burden These include sleep apnea, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, pre-diabetes, osteoarthritis and others.
He added: “These downstream conditions add up to an estimated cost of $3.6 billion per year in the UAE alone, and the risk ultimately rests on employers and society. If obesity itself were considered a disease, and if its treatment were mainstream and routinely paid for, weight loss would have a large impact on the downstream costs of the health care system.
Almarzouki said: “We expect Novo Nordisk UAE to benefit from improved outcomes from the use of its innovative treatments. GluCare.Health will report and publish the results of this study upon completion. They will also benefit from the new data that We use as part of our continuum of care model, such as digital biomarkers and engagement data that our proprietary platforms capture.
“Typical obesity programs and existing literature do not include this type of ‘hyper-personalized, continuous’ information. These new data sets will be in addition to regular data sets such as laboratory and in-clinic outcomes. Both sets will be combined with ‘risk payoff models’ The combination of could provide a blueprint for how obesity programs are adopted and more widely paid for by payers in the future.
on record
Mads Bo Larsen, vice president and general manager of Novo Nordisk in the UAE, said, “Obesity is a complex serious chronic disease that is associated with many other health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer.” “Over the past 30 years, the prevalence of obesity in the UAE has almost tripled and this trend threatens health care systems, economies and individual lives.
“It is well documented that obesity management requires a holistic approach and comprehensive solutions, and we strongly believe that combining technology with traditional medical science will enhance treatment outcomes.”
Hashmi said: “Part of the challenge in delivering a transformational weight loss program powered by cutting-edge treatments like Novo Nordisk is two things. One, the cost of treatment can be extremely high, and two, for a certain portion of patients their metabolic systems will not respond.
“Faced with these barriers, it can sometimes be difficult for patients to make significant spending commitments on these therapeutics and services. Essentially providing an outcomes-based mechanism to reduce risk for patients helps lower the barrier to adoption and lets patients know that if they pay for it, it will work. .
He concluded: “This is no different from other ‘guarantees or your money back’ models consumers are already accustomed to when it comes to purchasing goods and services. It has not been widely employed in health care. Because providers and drug companies are unwilling to put themselves at risk in this way.
GluCare.Health’s weight management program is open to individuals who are considered obese based on a BMI of 30 and above, or a BMI of 27 and above with minimal weight-related co-morbidities. with. People interested in applying can do so by emailing negin@glucare.health and asking about the “At Risk” Obesity Program.
