Improving clinical research for people with Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS), the new challenge from Ferrer 4 Future for the entrepreneurial ecosystem
Barcelona, May 11, 2022 – For the fourth consecutive year, the open innovation program in digital health, Ferrer 4 Future, launches a new challenge to the entrepreneurial ecosystem of digital health start-ups. On this occasion, the initiative aims to find a solution to improve clinical research on Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS).
During the Ibero-American Entrepreneurship BHH Summit, organized by Barcelona Health Hub, Ferrer 4 Future has presented the challenge of finding a digital technology to facilitate automated notification of the characteristics of seizures in people with CVS. By ensuring the proper collection of all relevant data, a representative pattern of vomiting episodes could be established in the context of clinical studies and help in the study of a possible treatment.
Typically, in a clinical study, patients are asked to record multiple parameters of the vomiting episode in digital diaries. However, the severity of the episode in many cases makes this task difficult because the patient may be suffering from seizures or nausea. That results in a loss of valuable data for researchers to better understand the disease. Therefore, there is a real need to fill this data gap with minimal intervention for the patient.
According to Gemma Estrada, head of Digital Health and Technology at Ferrer, "to realize our purpose of making a positive impact in society, the Ferrer 4 Future program is designed to help improve the patients’ experience, addressing aspects related to their quality of life, as well as the treatment received in terms of speed, empathy, respect and warmth. With Ferrer 4 Future, we want to generate and implement solutions aimed at all the actors involved in the patient's health care chain, using digital technologies in a successful and sustainable manner.”
Technological start-ups that wish to apply with a possible solution to the challenge can do so until June 19th, 2022, through the website www.ferrer4future.com.
The winners of previous editions:
2019: Wellthy Therapeutics
With the aim of improving the interaction and adherence to treatment of people with chronic diseases, the Indian start-up, Wellthy Therapeutics, won by presenting a technological solution that is now already in development.
The software healthcare device for the management of people with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAHCare™), co-developed with Ferrer, has obtained CE marking and is currently in the clinical study phase.
2020: Sense4Care
With the aim of improving the quality of life of Parkinson's patients, the Catalan start-up Sense4Care and Ferrer are collaborating on a joint solution that can anticipate crises in movement disorders.
2021: Accessible and Winterlight
Ferrer Spain and Ferrer Costa Rica are studying the possibility of co-developing a solution for the screening and rehabilitation of people with mild cognitive disorders.
About Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS)
People with CVS experience recurrent episodes of nausea and vomiting, followed by symptom-free periods. An episode can be severe enough to incapacitate the person and make them unable to walk or speak. In some severe cases, it can result in a visit to the Emergency Room and even hospitalization.
Other symptoms that are often associated include dizziness, pale skin, lack of energy (apathy), abdominal pain, and headaches. Current treatment of CVS is aimed at preventing, shortening, or controlling episodes and reducing symptoms of abdominal pain, and is based on experience and observation. Specific therapies are tailored to each individual patient supported by the establishment of a unique episode pattern.
About Ferrer 4 Future
Ferrer's open innovation program in digital health, Ferrer 4 Future, created by Ferrer’s Department of Digital Health and Technology, was created in 2019 with the aim of promoting digital health to improve health and wellbeing of society. The initiative seeks to find entrepreneurs and digital health start-ups with which Ferrer can work together to develop disruptive therapeutic solutions.
Ferrer has always shown its commitment when working to respond to people's unmet needs. For this reason, the Ferrer 4 Future program focuses on finding potential partners with whom to develop digital solutions throughout the entire value chain of patients (health professionals, caregivers, hospitals, etc.) to address ways in which to improve their quality of life.
The F4F program is tailor-made, depending on the nature of each project and the degree of maturity of the solution proposed by the start-up. The duration can vary between 6 and 18 months, time in which access to mentors and experts from Ferrer is guaranteed, as well as to the company's internal resources, to speed up the creation of the solution.