Revolutionising remote clinical trials to bring more understanding to complex diseases

Neurological disorders can affect up to 1 billion people worldwide [1], while rare diseases more than 300 million people [2], often resulting in unmanaged symptoms and inadequate care. These disorders have a significant impact on the independence and quality of life of patients, as well as on healthcare systems.

Currently, the total healthcare costs for all services provided (i.e., medication, preventive services, etc.) for neurological disorders reached $1.2 trillion, surpassing the combined cost of heart diseases, cancer, and diabetes [3]. 

There is an urgent need to find effective therapies and conduct successful clinical trials. Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical industry faces challenges in patient engagement, logistics management, and the 85% failure rate of CNS drug trials [4].

It has become evident that a different approach is necessary to better understand these conditions. A solution that embraces remote trials and utilises digital assessments, such as electronic patient-reported outcome measures (ePROMs), can offer pharmaceutical companies improved patient engagement, enhanced data collection (“measure in millimeters, not meters”), reduced site costs, and increased reliability and objectivity in results.

Furthermore, it will empower patients to independently manage their symptoms, complements specialist care with accessible technology, and provides valuable data insights for informed healthcare decision-making. 

Digital assessments: a paradigm shift 

Beats Medical has pioneered a groundbreaking digital platform that harnesses the power of precise assessments through patients’ smartphones, empowered by Artificial Intelligence (AI).  

What sets our platform apart is its exceptional ability to detect subtle changes in movement and speech patterns, surpassing traditional methods and establishing a new standard for assessing patients with CNS and rare conditions. By utilising commercially available smartphones that patients are already familiar with, our platform enables ePROMs to be conveniently conducted from the comfort of their homes, offering unparalleled precision compared to traditional methods.

Furthermore, it can be tailored to accommodate objective primary and secondary endpoints of any study or clinical trial, incorporating existing or expanded assessments related to walking, hand movement, and speech. This approach, with the support of AI, facilitates a better understanding of the disorders being investigated throughout the various phases of a clinical trial, informing the future commercialisation of a breakthrough therapy.

Our platform encompasses user-friendly Apple iOS and Android applications that allow patients to effortlessly complete daily walk tests (such as the Timed Up & Go or 2-minute walk test), speech tests (including Sustained Vowel Phonation or Breath Control), hand movement tests (such as the 9 Hole Peg Test or Spiral Hand Drawing), and many others that can be adapted to suit the specific conditions being investigated. Empowered by AI, these tests act as specialised ‘lenses,’ enabling pharmaceutical companies and researchers to delve deeper into specific disorders and gather invaluable data about potential biomarkers and future therapies.

In a series of upcoming articles, we will delve into the advanced capabilities of Beats Medical’s platform and the subsequent benefits it can offer as a standalone solution or when integrated with existing drug portfolios. This integration adds value to patients and companies across the different stages of a clinical trial, leading up to future commercialisation.

We invite you to join us on this exciting journey as we redefine the future of clinical trials and work together to improve patient outcomes in CNS and rare conditions. 

To learn more about our innovative platform and explore partnership opportunities, visit beatsmedical.com or reach out to andrew@beatsmedical.com.

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