The new technology at the heart of myBiometry asthma solution is a patented sensor (top right) and device (center) that measures breath nitric oxide, a biomarker of airway inflammation. This is used to determine if an individual is at risk for an asthma attack.
Nationwide, more than 25 million people have asthma, including approximately 20 million adults and 5.1 million children and adolescents. If not well controlled, chronic diseases can cause the airways to swell and narrow, making breathing difficult. This is called an asthma attack, and within a year, over 10 million people There was one, which resulted in 1.6 million emergency room visits and more than 3,500 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Now a Boston-based startup, my biometricswhich aims to improve asthma management by helping people take action in the weeks before a potential attack, even if they don’t have symptoms.
“Simply put, our mission is to end asthma attacks,” said CEO Bryan Nolan, who founded the company in 2013.
exist MedCity Investment Conference In Chicago, the company was selected as the winner in the Diagnostics 2.0 track of the Pitch Perfect competition by judges who are active investors.
Michelle Snyder, a partner at McKesson Ventures and one of three judges, said asthma and COPD is a huge market with a lot of unmet need. If successful, the company’s solution could not only have a significant impact on patients’ quality of life, but also reduce the cost of asthma treatment for the healthcare system, Snyder said.. In particular, myBiometry impressed the judges with its technology + approach.
“I think technology may not be enough in a lot of cases,” Snyder said, adding that having the option to talk to a live human would be helpful if a patient needs an extra nudge.
MyBiometry’s multi-pronged asthma solution, called Mya, combines home diagnostics, digital health and care teams to identify at-risk patients and proactively intervene to prevent asthma attacks, Nolan said. The new technology at the heart of its solution is a patented sensor and device that asthmatics can use to detect some of the exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) in their exhaled breath. Nolan, co-inventor of the myBiometry technology, a biomarker of airway inflammation, said the company uses it to help determine whether a person is at risk for an asthma attack.
With myBiometry’s approach, you can track changes over time, even before people might feel them, Nolan said.Inflammation of the human airways Changes starting about 20 days before asthma symptoms or attackss – This change can be detected by measuring the biomarker nitric oxide.
“So you can spot problems early and take interventions to suppress inflammation and reduce risk,” Nolan said.
These adjustments can range from making lifestyle changes (such as being active to getting more rest) to making sure you’re taking your medications correctly.
The device also collects indoor environmental data on known asthma triggers. It connects to an app that guides patients through the testing process, which involves slow, steady exhalation into the device’s black tip. After the patient takes the test once a day, the results and their interpretation are displayed immediately.
“We combined this data with symptom scores, asthma control, and exposure to indoor and outdoor environmental triggers tracked through the app. We used this data to identify patients at risk for attacks before they developed symptoms, and for medication adherence and biological monitoring of efficacy,” explains Nolan. “Behind the scenes, our algorithms turn the data into personalized and actionable insights. Interventions are delivered proactively through an app or a care team of certified asthma educators, nurses and doctors.”
The company’s main competitors are in-office and laboratory diagnostic devices that measure the same biomarkers.It will compete with diagnostic companies such as Circassian and Cohero Health and companies that use sensors attached to inhalers to monitor asthma treatment adherence, such as adhesion and propeller healthaccording to Nolan.
“Our main advantage is that we can test cost-effectively at home on a daily basis,” he said. “This provides us with a proprietary dataset that allows us to use these trends to biologically determine adherence, drug efficacy, correct inhaler technique and risk of aggression.”
Data show that many asthma sufferers don’t use their inhaler properlyand suffer worse results as a result.
Going forward, Michelle Snyder of McKesson Ventures said she would be interested in learning how patients use the product, as well as outcome data from using the product, in terms of its impact on asthma management.
“It’s often hard to get people to change their behavior when they don’t feel like they have any problems,” Snyder said.
But she thinks the company’s technology + approach can help with that.
myBiometry has not yet commercialized its product, and the company has not provided a cost or revenue forecast. But it plans to sell its solutions to employers. The initial target is large, self-funding employers who already pay subscription fees for chronic disease management programs to address conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. The startup will be billed monthly by invoice or claim, and patients will need a diagnostic prescription, but no software.
To date, the company has raised $3.3 million. It aims to raise another $8 million in 2022 and another $10 million to $15 million in 2023, Nolan said. That will be used to fund customer pilots, submit diagnostics for 510(k) approval, gain regulatory clearance and begin early commercialization, he said.
“Long-term, our vision is to truly be the leader in asthma monitoring and management,” Nolan said. “What Livongo can do with diabetes — we want to do it with asthma.”
Photo: myBiometry
