EIT Health has selected the two winning teams of its 2020 Wild Card Innovation Program. The Munich-based start-up Orbit Health convinced with its idea to make the treatment of Parkinson's disease more efficient and individualized by using artificial intelligence. Orbit Health will receive €1.5 million in funding for its implementation.
Parkinson's is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's, affecting around 1.2 million people in Europe alone. The disease affects the ability to walk and talk, as well as being linked to mental health issues such as depression.
The use of artificial intelligence will primarily enable better analysis of the patient's response to their treatment. The integration of Orbit Health' technology "Neptune" into clinical practice is expected to allow physicians to monitor the patient's motor symptom status after each medication intake, thereby optimizing treatment and dosing. This should ultimately improve patients' quality of life.
"Parkinson's is a complex disease and every patient responds differently to treatment," explains Patty Lee, CEO and co-founder of Orbit Health. "With our research, we want to make it easier to individualise treatment, thereby improving the lives of patients and their families and saving costs for the healthcare system."
Co-founder of Orbit Health is Dr. Franz Pfister. The physician and entrepreneur is co-founder and CEO of the awarded AI startup deepc, and is considered a leading expert at the intersection of medicine and AI.
The second winning team in the EIT Health Wild Card program, MiMark from Barcelona, is conducting research on improved uterine cancer diagnostics.
About EIT Health's Wild Card Program
In 2021, EIT Health selected winners in the Wild Card Program for the fourth time. The goal of the program is to give skilled entrepreneurs the chance to bring their new, innovative ideas to life in the healthcare field. After undergoing various coaching and training sessions, participants have the opportunity to present their ideas to a select EIT Health panel, thus securing EIT Health's support on their journey into the healthcare market. In addition to financial support, the teams also receive expert mentoring, coaching and access to the entire European EIT Health network.