Otsuka’s US challenge for digital health startups has been won by NeuroFlow, a Philadelphia-based company working on technology to support people with mental health issues.
The firm’s soon-to-launch technology captures real-time and secure patient-generated data to support patients with their treatments via monitoring, positive reinforcement, and targeted guidance.
NeuroFlow beat five other entrepreneurs in Otsuka’s live Pitch Challenge, held last month at the Elevate by Psych Congress event in Austin, Texas, to take home the $5,000 winner’s prize.
Andrew Wright, vice president of digital medicine for Otsuka, said: “At Otsuka, we are proud of our commitment to developing innovative solutions. At the heart of this work is addressing mental health disorders and supporting patients and caregivers.
“We are thrilled to support this Pitch Event and Elevate by Psych Congress. By convening some of the best entrepreneurs in technology and mental health, and giving them an opportunity to engage directly with the leading experts in the field, we can spark new conversations and road-test new ideas.”
The challenge fits firmly within the pharma trend of running competitions to identify outside digital health startups to support, as seen at the likes of Sandoz, Bayer and Sanofi.
At Otsuka’s event the companies competing covered a range of technology, focusing on areas such as medication adherence, mental health literacy and the need for understanding side effects and medication regimes.
NeuroFlow’s winning pitch was for work that promotes better health outcomes for patients and business growth for healthcare providers by helping to improve treatment retention and protocol adherence.
Christopher Molaro, NeuroFlow CEO and co-founder, said: “The support of Otsuka and Psych Congress is exciting to everyone at NeuroFlow. The fact Psych Congress attendees chose NeuroFlow is validation to the value of our technology and to our belief that technology can play an important role in understanding and supporting those with mental illness and thank Otsuka for their support in that journey.”
