Danish pharma company LEO has expanded its new unit focused on developing non-medical approaches to psoriasis by teaming up with innovative start-ups.
Specifically, the LEO Innovation Lab will be looking to technology such as apps, web platforms, wearables, virtual reality, artificial intelligence and tele-medicine.
In the last few months the firm has opened offices in Paris and Toronto, with the latter marking its first presence in North America.
They join bases in the UK and Denmark as part of plans to establish a global network of partners with which to work on ways of “bridging the gap between the digital and … physical solutions”.
The company says that its ownership by the LEO Foundation – and consequent absence of shareholders – will ensure the new Lab’s goal will not be profits but “making a difference to people living with psoriasis”.
Commenting on this LEO Pharma CEO Gitte Aabo said: “This does not mean that we perceive helping people as a contradiction to driving a sustainable business. In LEO Pharma, we do not help patients in order to make money; we make money in order to help patients.”
First set up in 2015 with €60m funding the Lab is focuses on areas such as stress, diet, social relationships and healthcare provider interaction, with a timeframe for projects of 100 days from ideation to beta test.
It operates independently from its parent firm with its own board, and heading up the Lab is CEO Kristian Hart-Hansen, who previously served as general manager of LEO Pharma Spain.
He’s joined at a country level by three LEO Innovation Lab heads for the UK – Catalina Cernica, Canada – Miron Derchansky and France – Marine Tortel.
