Home 5 Articles 5 Fitness Wearables Makers Look to Apply Technology for Consumer-Based Diagnostics

Fitness Wearables Makers Look to Apply Technology for Consumer-Based Diagnostics

by | Dec 2, 2020 | Articles, Deals-lir, Essential, Laboratory Industry Report

Could the Fitbit, smartwatch and other wearable devices be a key to resolving the current COVID-19 testing and other diagnostic challenges? Momentum for applying wearables health and wellness measuring technology for purposes of widespread, consumer-based diagnostics has been building rapidly even before the pandemic, as is the scientific evidence to support the validity of the concept. Were it to succeed, the approach of wedding consumer wearables to COVID-19 detection and differentiation could go a long way in resolving the current rapid testing challenge. Wearables and COVID-19 Diagnosis The idea of using Fitbit and other wearable devices for diagnostic purposes is nothing new. And a new study by Scripps Research Translational Institute published in Nature suggests that such information may include whether we have COVID-19. Conducted by researchers from the Digital Engagement and Tracking for Early Control and Treatment (DETECT), the Nature study is one of the first to consider wearables for COVID-19 diagnosis. The researchers’ aim was to investigate whether the addition of individual changes in sensor data to symptom data can be used to improve our capability to identify COVID-19-positive versus COVID-19-negative cases among participants who self-reported symptoms. The Fitbit Study Wearable makers have also been active in exploring […]

Could the Fitbit, smartwatch and other wearable devices be a key to resolving the current COVID-19 testing and other diagnostic challenges? Momentum for applying wearables health and wellness measuring technology for purposes of widespread, consumer-based diagnostics has been building rapidly even before the pandemic, as is the scientific evidence to support the validity of the concept. Were it to succeed, the approach of wedding consumer wearables to COVID-19 detection and differentiation could go a long way in resolving the current rapid testing challenge.

Wearables and COVID-19 Diagnosis

The idea of using Fitbit and other wearable devices for diagnostic purposes is nothing new. And a new study by Scripps Research Translational Institute published in Nature suggests that such information may include whether we have COVID-19. Conducted by researchers from the Digital Engagement and Tracking for Early Control and Treatment (DETECT), the Nature study is one of the first to consider wearables for COVID-19 diagnosis. The researchers’ aim was to investigate whether the addition of individual changes in sensor data to symptom data can be used to improve our capability to identify COVID-19-positive versus COVID-19-negative cases among participants who self-reported symptoms.

The Fitbit Study

Wearable makers have also been active in exploring the diagnostic potentials of their products. Before the pandemic, San Francisco-based Fitbit applied its own tracking health and wellness metrics technology to develop an algorithm to detect breathing rate, resting heart rate and other factors. The original intention was to alert users to signs of flu infection. But when the public health crisis began, Fitbit pivoted and adapted the concept for COVID-19.

The algorithm was studied only in a retrospective setting, and there was a need for a prospective study to validate it in a real-world setting. Accordingly, Fitbit recently announced that it is collaborating with Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research on a study to validate the Fitbit COVID-19 early detection algorithm. The Fitbit study is supported by a $2.5 million award from the U.S. Department of Defense through the medical technology enterprise consortium. The award is part of the consortium’s efforts to keep military personnel healthy by detecting the virus before symptoms emerge.

Several thousand frontline and custodial Northwell staffers are expected to participate in the study. Once the study is initiated, enrolled Northwell employees will be given a Fitbit smartwatch. Upon notification of signs of potential illness, they will be given COVID-19 tests for verification.

Here’s a summary of other key strategic diagnostic deals announced in November 2020:

STRATEGIC ALLIANCES, PARTNERSHIPS & COLLABORATIONS

Partner 1 Partner(s) 2+ Deal Summary
Bio-Me Siolta Therapeutics
  • Objective: Develop rapid diagnostic test for newborns at risk of developing allergy and asthma later in life
  • Dynamic: Siolta to Bio-Me samples and insights into key criteria
OneOncology Genentech
  • Objective: Bring comprehensive genomic profiling to community oncology setting
  • Dynamic: Genentech to launch new basket trial enrolling patients treated throughout the OneOncology Research Network (OneR)
Qiagen TScan Therapeutics
  • Objective: Develop T cell-based lab tests to detect exposure to SARS-CoV-2 using discoveries from TScan’s high-throughput T-cell receptor (TCR)/target discovery platform
  • Dynamic: Qiagen gets option to license rights and intellectual property for TScan’s discovered immunodominant T-cell targets, associated sequences and data for development and commercialization of diagnostic tests
  • Qiagen also gets right to further evaluate TScan discoveries
Qiagen BioNTech
  • Objective: Develop tissue-based companion diagnostic to identify patients with squamous cell head and neck cancer caused by specific HPV infections eligible for BioNTech’s investigational cancer treatment BNT113
  • Dynamic: Assay detecting presence of specific HPV genotypes to be developed on Qiagen’s real-time PCR-based RGQ MDx platform
Ginkgo Bioworks Access Bio
  • Objective: Distribution of rapid COVID-19 antigen tests
  • Dynamic: Ginkgo to provide Access Bio undisclosed amount of funding to expand manufacturing capacity for tests
  • Ginkgo to offer at least 10 million antigen test kits through its Concentric by Ginkgo service
Aspira Women’s Health Baylor Genetics
  • Objective: Develop early detection test for ovarian cancer
  • Dynamic: Aspira to leverage its experience in recruitment of patient samples and assay development
Agendia Paige
  • Objective: Develop products to enable faster access to predictive and prognostic information for breast cancer care and treatment
  • Dynamic: Integrate Paige’s cloud-based Paige Platform with genomic information from Agendia’s MammaPrint and BluePrint diagnostic tests
NanoString Technologies Oregon Health & Science University
  • Objective: Develop GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler-based protein assays for breast cancer
  • Dynamic: OHSU pathologists to design a new GeoMx protein assay with up to 30 targets, including existing diagnostic markers and novel biomarker candidates and clinically validate assay for potential use as laboratory-developed test
Tempus Yale School of Public Health
  • Objective: Refine saliva-based test for SARS-CoV-2
  • Dynamic: SalivaDirect tests uses dualplex RT-qPCR to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in saliva samples without need for special types of swabs or collection devices, or a separate nucleic acid extraction step
  • Test has EUA from FDA but parties to further develop it to enable at-home sample collection and combination testing for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza
Tempus Janssen Research & Development
  • Objective: Develop predictive machine-learning model to improve enrollment in biomarker-driven oncology clinical trials for Janssen R&D
  • Dynamic: Janssen looking for method to speed up identification of patients with specific tumor features that match the requirements of trials.
Myriad Genetics Burning Rock Biotech
  • Objective: Expand Myriad’s myChoice CDx in China
  • Dynamic: Burning Rock Biotech to use Myriad’s myChoice homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) test in Phase III drug development studies and in clinics
Adaptive Biotechnologies GlaxoSmithKline
  • Objective: Use Adaptive’s ClonoSeq assay to assess minimal residual disease (MRD) across GSK’s portfolio of hematology products
  • Dynamic: GSK gets non-exclusive right to use ClonoSeq test in its hematology clinical trials to generate data supporting the clinical value of monitoring MRD for patient care
  • Adaptive to get upfront and potential future regulatory milestone payments
Genosity Igentify
  • Objective: Integrate Genosity’s Integrated Genomic Toolkit into Igentify’s genetic counseling software
  • Dynamic: Both firms to comarket the combined solution
SpeeDx Nepean Hospital
  • Objective: Commercialize host gene expression biomarker test for respiratory viral illness
  • Dynamic: Under exclusive deal, SpeeDx to work with Nepean scientists to develop an assay that uses IFI27 expression to support risk-based management of severe respiratory disease patients
Biocartis GeneproDx
  • Objective: Develop GeneproDx’s ThyroidPrint on Biocartis’ Idylla platform
  • Dynamic: GeneproDx to lead in developing the Idylla ThyroidPrint test, with Biocartis responsible for assay’s global distribution
Biocartis Endpoint
  • Objective: Develop and commercialize a novel companion diagnostic test on Biocartis’ Idylla platform
  • Dynamic: Endpoint to lead development and registration of Idylla Endpoint CDx test in interventional trials, with both firms to collaborate on assay’s commercialization
LabCorp BML
  • Objective: Expand availability of products developed by LabCorp’s Covance drug development business in Japan, starting with oncology assays
  • Dynamic: Expands existing collaboration to broaden network of Japanese labs used to support companion diagnostic development and commercialization
Thermo Fisher Scientific Terasaki Innovation Center
  • Objective: Develop new diagnostic tools to manage transplant patients
  • Dynamic: Thermo Fisher to have first rights to new technologies developed by TIC for transplant medicine

DISTRIBUTION, SALES & MARKETING AGREEMENTS

Product Owner Distributor Deal Summary
CellaVision Sysmex America
  • Products: CellaVision’s DC-1 product for automating blood cell differentials
  • Territory: US, Canada
Proteomics International Laboratories Zotal
  • Products: Proteomics’ ELISA-based Promarker D (IA) diabetic kidney disease immunoassay
  • Territory: Israel
  • Exclusive
Take2 Health Yourgene Health Taipei
  • Products: Take2 Prophecy test
  • Territory: Taiwan
S2 Genomics D-Mark Biosciences
  • Products: S2’s Singulator 100 system and associated products
  • Territory: Canada

LICENSES

Licensor Licensee Deal Summary
University of Southern California’s Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience Epic Sciences Epic gets access to Center’s liquid biopsy samples to improve its liquid biopsy platform and gain more precise characterization of rare circulating tumor cells (CTCs)
TwinStrand Biosciences Foundation Medicine Foundation gets non-exclusive access to Twin Strand’s duplex sequencing technology that independently tracks both strands of DNA molecules and compares paired sequences to eliminate errors
Qiagen Phase Genomics Qiagen non-exclusively licenses patents enabling it to sell its EpiTect Hi-C kits in US

SUPPLY, SERVICE & TESTING AGREEMENTS

Supplier/Servicer Client/User Deal Summary
Quest Diagnostics Montefiore Nyack Hospital Quest to provide Montefiore Nyack and its renal physician practice Highland Medical Rockland Renal Associates with lab management including day-to-day management of hospital labs, lab supply chain management and esoteric reference testing
Quest Diagnostics Goshen Hospital Quest to provide Goshen Hospital with supply chain management services
Quest Diagnostics Nevada Department of Corrections $10 million deal for Quest to provide COVID-19 testing at state prisons

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