Huma Therapeutics and Merck KGaA have announced a partnership that aims to educate cancer patients and help them manage treatment.
The collaboration will use Huma’s technology to develop a Cross-Indication Disease Management Platform which will give patients being treated with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany's cancer therapies access to education and a care pathway.
Underlining the benefits this partnership has for both parties Dan Vahdat, CEO of Huma, said: “Our recent regulatory achievements mark a significant milestone, streamlining our ability to introduce innovative digital companion applications, alongside more sophisticated AI algorithms that may support patients and healthcare professionals alike. We are thrilled to join forces with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, to develop this ambitious oncology platform.”
The Cross-Indication Disease Management Platform will launch in the UK in 2024 and will support patients with urothelial carcinoma, a cancer that is found in urothelial cells which line the urethra, bladder, ureters, renal pelvis, and other organs.
Dr Mert Aral, Chief Medical Officer at Huma, said: "A number of well-designed scientific studies have underscored the pivotal role digital health technologies can play in optimising care pathways in oncology, improving patient outcomes. In this significant collaboration with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, the project strives to simplify the complex journey that cancer patients often face. The goal is straightforward – to deepen the understanding of patients about their condition, help them to navigate intricate care pathways seamlessly and to facilitate sustained adherence to therapies."
Huma will use its disease-agnostic Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) technology platform which has both EU MDR Class IIb regulation and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Class II 510(k) clearance to facilitate the service.
In August 2023 Huma utilized the Google Cloud’s generative artificial intelligence (AI) to simplify its disease management platform centralising patients data.
