Personalized healthcare, an emergent paradigm, crafts treatments and preventive measures by assimilating an individual’s genetic profile, lifestyle, and environmental factors. This progressive domain is propelled by breakthroughs in genomics, sophisticated data analytics, and cutting-edge artificial intelligence. A 2022 study found that personalized medicine led to a 10% improvement in the overall survival rate for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. One of the pioneering startup companies championing the global adoption of personalized medicine is Exactcure.
In today’s digital health sector, startups such as Exactcure play a critical role in revolutionizing healthcare delivery and elevating patient outcomes. Established in Nice, France, in 2017 by Frédéric Dayan, Fabien Astic, and Sylvain Benito, Exactcure has a central mission: to combat medication errors and heighten the efficacy of personalized medication.
Pain point addressed
Exactcure has developed software solutions that account for distinct biological variations in individuals. Their objective is to move beyond a broad, one-size-fits-all approach to medication, aiming instead for a tailored methodology. This individualized approach not only optimizes the effectiveness of drug therapies but also minimizes potential adverse effects. Since its foundation, Exactcure has rapidly carved out a prominent position in the digital health arena. By harnessing cutting-edge technology combined with a deep comprehension of biological nuances, the company is charting new territory in the realm of personalized healthcare.
Medication errors, which include incorrect dosages, timings, and potential drug interactions, can result in diminished therapeutic effects, severe side effects, or even fatal outcomes. The World Health Organization highlights such errors as a primary source of avoidable harm in global healthcare. Furthermore, medication efficacy varies from individual to individual due to factors like age, gender, genetics, and organ functions. Still, the prevalent ‘one-size-fits-all’ prescription model overlooks these unique biological distinctions, leading to inconsistent therapeutic outcomes and side effects. This issue becomes more pronounced among the elderly, whose changing body physiology impacts drug processing. Additionally, older individuals often deal with multiple health conditions, resulting in poly-medication, increasing the chances of adverse drug interactions and complications.
Type of solution
- Software
Exactcure’s software harnesses a “digital twin” technology for advanced personalized medication management. Essentially, this digital twin mimics an individual patient, allowing healthcare professionals to simulate how specific medications might affect them. This is invaluable for ensuring treatments are both safe and optimized. For instance, for a patient with certain allergies, the system can virtually test alternative drugs, avoiding real-world risks.
Another pivotal feature is its ability to predict interactions between multiple medications, suggesting strategies to prevent adverse reactions. Furthermore, this tool can recommend personalized dosages, anticipate potential side effects, and even assist in devising efficient clinical trials for new medicines. In essence,
- Service (consultation)
Exactcure has ingeniously merged the realms of technology and medical consultation. Traditionally, consultations would require face-to-face interactions or, at best, a telephonic conversation. With Exactcure’s software-based consultation, users can receive advice, suggestions, and feedback in a more systematic and data-driven manner. By integrating AI and data analytics, their software can provide more accurate and tailored advice to users, significantly reducing the chances of medication errors or incompatible treatments. Such a model not only saves time but also ensures that patients receive the best possible advice based on the latest medical research and their personal medical history.
- Platform
In addition to the software consultation, Exactcure has pioneered a collaborative platform. The digital healthcare environment can often feel isolated, with patients, doctors, pharmacists, and other stakeholders operating in their separate silos. Recognizing this gap, Exactcure’s platform serves as a bridge to connect all these entities. Through this platform, users can seamlessly interact with health professionals, ensuring that any advice or medication prescribed is based on a holistic view of the patient’s health.
Key technology involved
Exactcure harnesses the power of machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) to drive its predictive analytics, ensuring personalized medication management. By analyzing vast datasets, their solutions forecast medication interactions and efficacy tailored to individual patients.
Key applications of solution
- Diagnostic assistance Exactcure’s software plays a crucial role in supporting healthcare professionals during the diagnostic phase. By assimilating comprehensive patient data, the software aids in accurately and promptly identifying medical conditions, reducing diagnostic errors. This ensures patients receive appropriate treatment early on, which can lead to better health outcomes.
- Treatment planning The hallmark of Exactcure’s approach is its emphasis on personalized medication management. Treatment plans are meticulously crafted, taking into account individual biological factors such as genetics and existing health conditions. This bespoke approach ensures patients receive the most effective treatment regimens tailored specifically for them.
- Patient monitoring Real-time data monitoring offered by Exactcure enhances patient safety. By constantly analyzing a patient’s medication and health data, the software can swiftly identify and mitigate potential adverse drug interactions, ensuring sustained and uninterrupted patient recovery.
- Drug discovery The power of predictive analytics embedded in Exactcure’s software is not just limited to treatment planning. It also holds immense potential in drug discovery. By analyzing vast datasets, the software can identify potential medication breakthroughs, accelerating the process of bringing new, effective drugs to the market.
- Personalized care At the heart of all these technological advancements lies Exactcure’s primary mission: delivering personalized care. The company believes that every patient is unique, and their treatment should reflect this individuality. By harnessing the power of technology, Exactcure ensures each patient benefits from a treatment plan designed specifically for their unique needs, leading to better health outcomes and improved patient satisfaction.
Implications for key stakeholders
Patients
- Enhanced safety and efficacy: Through the tailored approach of Exactcure’s software, patients can feel secure knowing their medications have been vetted specifically for them. This not only increases the overall safety but also amplifies the efficacy of the drugs, ensuring patients receive the maximum therapeutic benefits tailored to their biological makeup.
Healthcare providers
- Reduction of medication errors: One of the significant challenges in the healthcare industry is the occurrence of medication errors. With Exactcure’s precision-based solution, healthcare providers can drastically reduce such incidents, ensuring they deliver consistent quality care.
- Better personalized care: By using detailed patient data and predictive analytics, healthcare providers can design bespoke treatment plans. This deep level of personalization elevates the standard of care they can offer, enhancing patient-provider relationships.
Insurers
- Reduction in claims: Medication errors can lead to a chain reaction of medical interventions, thereby increasing insurance claims. By leveraging Exactcure’s solution, the potential for such errors is diminished, leading to a possible decrease in related claims. This can result in significant savings for insurers and can also lead to lower premiums for insured individuals.
Regulatory bodies
- Safer drug prescription and administration: Regulatory bodies aim to ensure the highest standard of patient safety in healthcare practices. By integrating solutions like Exactcure’s into the medical ecosystem, these entities can be more confident about the safety protocols in place. The technology ensures that drug prescription and administration adhere to stringent safety standards, aligning with the objectives of regulatory bodies.
Current impact
- Pioneering personalization: Exactcure’s software has already transformed how medications are prescribed and administered. Through the creation of digital twins, the platform has made medication management highly individualized, taking into account specific biological markers of each patient.
- Safety enhancements: Their solution has brought about a notable reduction in medication errors, ensuring patients receive the right drugs in the right dosages. For healthcare providers, this means enhanced patient safety and reduced liability.
- Stakeholder collaboration: By providing a platform that enables collaboration among patients, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders, Exactcure has fostered a more cohesive and integrated approach to medication management.
Potential future impact
- Wider adoption: As more healthcare institutions recognize the value of personalized medication management, Exactcure’s platform could become an industry standard, adopted globally.
- Drug discovery assistance: Beyond current applications, Exactcure’s predictive analytics can potentially play a significant role in drug discovery, helping researchers identify promising drug compounds and understand their interactions.
- Expanding to new arenas: While the current focus is on medication management, the technology’s capabilities could expand to other areas of healthcare, like predictive diagnostics or treatment efficacy analysis.
- Data-driven insights: As more data is fed into Exactcure’s system, the AI algorithms will continue to refine and enhance their predictions. This continuous learning cycle could lead to profound insights into medication effects and interactions, potentially reshaping treatment protocols.
- Empowering patients: In the future, as patients become more tech-savvy and involved in their care, Exactcure’s platform can serve as a tool for individuals to gain insights into their treatments, fostering a more participatory approach to healthcare.
Business model
Exactcure adopts a comprehensive business approach that targets both businesses and individual consumers. In the B2B realm, the company equips healthcare organizations and professionals with advanced tools for personalized medication management, reducing risks and enhancing patient outcomes. This approach fosters a culture of continuous improvement in healthcare.
In the B2C space, Exactcure empowers individuals to proactively manage their health through direct access to personalized medication plans and real-time monitoring. Their subscription model ensures ongoing access to cutting-edge solutions, promoting long-term partnerships and continuous quality enhancement in healthcare delivery. This dual approach positions Exactcure at the forefront of healthcare innovation, bridging the gap between stakeholders and patients.
Funding and key investors
The most recent funding round for ExactCure occurred in November 2019, reflecting the company’s drive to secure the necessary resources to further its mission. With a total funding of $1.1 million, ExactCure is well-positioned to continue its pioneering work in personalized medication management and healthcare transformation.
The following are the key investors in Exactcure:
- EIT Health: EIT Health, a prominent player in the European healthcare innovation ecosystem, has recognized the potential of ExactCure’s groundbreaking solutions. Their investment signifies not only financial support but also an endorsement of ExactCure’s mission to revolutionize medication management.
- OneRagtime: Another key investor in ExactCure is OneRagtime. This strategic partnership brings not only financial backing but also valuable expertise and guidance to the table, propelling ExactCure toward its goals.
- Other undisclosed investors: While the identity of the third investor remains undisclosed, their participation underscores the confidence placed in ExactCure’s vision.
Competitive differentiator
Here are some specific examples of how ExactCure’s digital twin technology stands out from other solutions:
- Genetic makeup: ExactCure’s digital twin can incorporate a patient’s genetic makeup into its simulations, which allows for more accurate predictions of how different medications will be metabolized and eliminated.
- Biological characteristics: ExactCure’s digital twin can also incorporate a patient’s biological characteristics, such as their age, weight, and organ function, into its simulations. This allows for more accurate predictions of how different medications will be distributed throughout the body.
- Real-time data: ExactCure’s digital twin is designed to be updated with real-time data, such as the patient’s blood glucose levels or medication adherence. This allows the digital twin to provide more accurate and up-to-date insights into the patient’s condition and response to treatment.
Relevant regulatory and compliance requirements
ExactCure, a healthcare technology innovator, is diligently pursuing regulatory approvals, including FDA clearance. Concurrently, it collaborates with healthcare providers to validate its digital twin technology’s potential for personalized medication management. The company’s credibility is substantiated by peer-reviewed publications, demonstrating the accuracy of its solutions. Furthermore, ExactCure is a member of the Digital Therapeutics Alliance (DTA), adhering to ethical principles and best practices. These efforts underscore its commitment to delivering reliable, ethical, and innovative healthcare solutions.
Exactcure could consider adopting a set of policies to further enhance its operations while maintaining a strong ethical and regulatory framework. These policies might include a robust data privacy policy, ensuring secure handling of patient information, and compliance with data protection regulations. Additionally, an ethical AI usage policy can guide the company in its use of AI, focusing on transparency, fairness, and accountability. Patient consent policies can help ensure compliance with informed consent requirements, while regulatory compliance policies are essential to meet the specific requirements of different regions.
Partnerships and collaborations
ExactCure is partnering with a number of healthcare organizations to develop and implement its digital twin technology, including:
- EIT Health: EIT Health is a European network of universities, hospitals, research institutes, and businesses that are working together to develop innovative healthcare solutions. ExactCure is partnering with EIT Health to accelerate the development and commercialization of its digital twin technology through the EIT Health digital health catapult program.
- Courtin Investment: Courtin Investment is a Belgian investment company that focuses on early-stage healthcare startups. ExactCure is partnering with Courtin Investment to secure funding for the development and implementation of its digital twin technology.
- University Hospitals Leuven: University Hospitals Leuven is a leading academic hospital in Belgium. ExactCure is partnering with University Hospitals Leuven to validate its digital twin technology in a clinical setting, meaning that the technology is tested on patients in a real-world setting to assess its safety and efficacy.
- University of California, San Francisco (UCSF): UCSF is a leading public research university with a strong focus on healthcare. ExactCure is partnering with UCSF to develop new applications for its digital twin technology in precision medicine, which is an approach to healthcare that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle.
Customer testimonials or case studies of ExactCure:
ExactCure is still in the early stages of development, so there are not yet many customer testimonials or case studies available. However, the company has presented its digital twin technology at a number of healthcare conferences, and the feedback has been very positive.
Areas for continuous improvement
- One of the biggest challenges faced by ExactCure is regulatory approval. The FDA has not yet developed a clear regulatory pathway for digital twin technologies, and it is unclear how long it will take for ExactCure’s digital twin technology to receive approval.
- Another challenge faced by ExactCure is customer adoption. Healthcare providers are often hesitant to adopt new technologies, and it will take time for ExactCure to convince them that its digital twin technology is a valuable tool for personalized medication management.
Despite these challenges, ExactCure is making significant progress in developing and commercializing its digital twin technology. The company has a strong team of experienced professionals, and it has partnered with leading healthcare
References
https://www.raconteur.net/healthcare/digital-twins-healthcare#:~:text=The
