Sandoz selects finalists in digital tech healthcare access competition

Sandoz has selected three finalists in a competition to use digital technology to increase access to medicines in poorer countries.

The generics and biosimilars arm of Novartis has been running its second Healthcare Access Challenge – known as the Sandoz HACk – and received more than 400 entries from across the world.

Three shortlisted entries come from Uganda, the US, and the Netherlands and will use technology such as artificial intelligence, mobile apps, and digital therapeutics to address healthcare challenges in their respective countries.

Finalists will take part in a four-day “accelerator event” in Austin, Texas in March, working with Sandoz to refine their ideas ahead of final judging.

The finalists are Regulora, a mobile app that connects patients with irritable bowel syndrome to automated digital therapy sessions from their homes, as well as offering daily practice routines and reports that track progress.

Social Genomics is also shortlisted, an organisation building an artificial intelligence (AI)-based smart social network enabling people with rare and undiagnosed diseases to connect and share stories, providing access to global real-world patient data.

The aim is to improve R&D by using advanced matchmaking using genomic patient data.

Finally The Mobile Clinic aims to improve access to antenatal and maternal healthcare in Uganda, where access to such services is very challenging.

Around 25 women are estimated to die every day in the country due to complications while giving birth in remote and rural areas.

The Mobile Clinic plans to develop an app that can be used to make emergency appointments using a toll-free number. This could be linked to a mobile van clinic offering door-to-door services in rural areas.

The event will take place alongside the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference, which brings together creative professionals wanting to discover, learn and network across industries.

Finalists will have the opportunity to attend the SXSW Health and Medtech track, which will focus on new technologies and approaches to health, medicine, and wellbeing.

For more information on the Sandoz HACk, click here.