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On Wednesday, 26 October, experts from different fields and countries came together online to inform about digital health applications (DiGAs), answer questions and exchange ideas. Malaika Lauk, Senior Consultant from BadenCampus, opened the event as a platform for this. We have summarized three important learnings of the event:

1. The German Fast-Track process is a success story

Ann-Katrin Weigand, Senior Insights Manager at Flying Health, gave some precious insights into the reimbursable DiGA market. Nice to know: After about 2 years of DiGA Fast Track procedure, 34 DiGAs are listed in the DiGA directory of the BfArM. She explained how the DiGA-Fast-Track works and emphasized: "The DiGA-Fast Track is a huge achievement that works so well that it has already met with interest in Europe and is to be adapted by the first countries," said Ann-Katrin Weigand.

2. Medical apps will continue to gain in importance

Thanks to the Digital Care Act (DVG), Germany is a leader in digital patient-oriented eHealth solutions. Apps will continue to gain massive importance in the medical device market – both Benjamin Klein from seleon and Thorsten Mintel, Director Customer Operations at Pfizer, presented studies on this. Thorsten Mintel estimated the potential of the DTx market in Germany at up to 3.5 billion euros on the basis of a study carried out by Roland Berger in 2020.

3. The key to funding, guidance and know-how is networking

For startups and companies, the path to inclusion in the DiGA directory is paved with some challenges: How do you find access to funding, where do you find stakeholders? And who pays the refund? "The process of inclusion in the DIGA directory is a challenge for startups who need to know exactly what their role is," says Peter Neske, Innovation Lead at Pfizer Healthcare Hub Freiburg. "But the good thing is that there are many kinds of suitable assistance," says Neske.

Sebastian Meuer from Innovation in Health put it in a nutshell: "It's simple: Ask! Use the networks and get in touch with the ecosystem!" Malaika Lauk from BadenCampus also emphasized the importance of two-way communication between the actors:  "In order to realize the enormous potential of Digital Health applications, it is important to exchange information with stakeholders. Thus to improve our ability to accurately diagnose and treat diseases and improve healthcare for individuals: Together for more health!" 

We are also proud that we live a resilient relationship with the high-tech nation Israel: Charme Rykower from the German-Israel Chamber of Commerce and Yoav Fisher from the HealthIL Israel Innovation Institute cordially invited to use their outstanding network. 

The team of the Pfizer Healthcare Hub would like to thank BadenCampus for this successful event and is proud to be able to enrich the innovation network: We offer DiGA manufacturers access to the Pfizer expert network – they can, for example, assist with inclusion in the DiGA directory, support price negotiations or much more.

Get in touch with the Pfizer Healthcare Hub

LinkHealth@BW offers an ecosystem with a focus on health in Baden-Württemberg, which supports companies, start-ups, research and development institutions, municipalities, networks and talents in their search for information, support, financing, networking and cooperation both nationally and internationally, thus strengthening innovations and new technologies in the health sector in a targeted manner.

Achieving more together
Together with over 20 organizations, networks and companies, we have joined forces to form the "LinkHealth@BW" initiative to offer all participants the most diverse and far-reaching offer for questions and concerns about the healthcare industry. Thanks to the excellent linking of the committed partners, all participants and their networks have access to a true pool of expert knowledge, contacts and industry insights.

"As a network of networks, LinkHealth@BW offers all interested parties unique access to the life sciences ecosystem in Baden-Württemberg – which is excellently positioned with its strong partners and is unparalleled nationally and internationally," says Dr. Barbara Jonischkeit, Head of Health and Bioeconomy at BIOPRO.

Get in touch!
The initiative LinkHealth@BW was developed within the framework of the Forum Gesundheitsstandort Baden-Württemberg and can be found under the project title: "Further development and integration of the innovation ecosystems of the state in the field of life sciences as a basis for national and international appeal".

For all questions about start-ups, projects or scaling in the field of life sciences, to which you have not found any answers elsewhere, they are certainly available in the LinkHealth@BW cosmos – feel free to contact us, we will establish a corresponding contact!

Schreibt uns!

How can such a “going forward” look like?

There were a variety of approaches that evening, two of which were discussed on stage:

The first answer came from Holger Stanislawski, a former player and coach at FC St. Pauli and now a supermarket owner. He reported on the legendary FC St. Pauli derby at Hamburger SV in 2011. As FC coach, he switched on the third goalkeeper and initially caused amazement. The plan worked: St. Pauli won against HSV for the first time since 1977.

His conclusion: If you want to be successful, you have to think outside the box, be courageous, and try out new paths. And don't be afraid of failure.

The second half of the IHK home game belonged to the startups

Three startups from the region presented what courageous progress can look like in concrete terms: Bauta, dotscene and Titan. All three can look back on an impressive development that shows: It pays to courageously advance innovations.

For startups there are the best network partners in the region, from social innovation to crafts and life sciences - these had their say after the startups: Malaika Lauk from Baden.Campus, Mona Feist from Black Forest Innovation, Leonard Sporleder from Grünhof and Nikolai Sexauer from Startinsland and Yannick Haldenwanger from StartUp.connect. Peter Neske, Innovation Lead of the Pfizer Healthcare Hub, also reported on how Pfizer advances startups through cooperation.

An inspiring event that also provided a great stage for start-up initiatives, accelerators and startups!

Non-adherence in clinical studies jeopardizes the integrity of the study. Non-adherent study participants can lead to the following results:

• Increased the number of patients required to complete a study​
• Increased costs (higher site and patient recruitment)​
• Increased time to complete the study
• Increased investigational products overage and associated costs

The Pfizer Breakthrough Accelerator is therefore looking for new, innovative, patient-friendly solutions to continuously improve the adherence of investigational medicinal products in clinical trials. The solution should also allow for the prediction, assessment, and identification of potential risk factors contributing to clinical trial non-adherence in clinical trial participants.  

Goals of the challenge

• Solutions that provide support and motivation to remain adherent with investigational products as well as visit schedules throughout their trial
• Provide insights and analytics to better predict the adherence curve for clinical trial participants to allow for appropriate intervention to maintain investigational product adherence.
• Capture adherence metrics back to the study teams

What's in it?

1. Opportunity to participate in a Phase 2 Study

Winners,  upon Pfizer’s request, will first negotiate in good faith with Pfizer for the right of Pfizer to develop and/or license Entrant’s solution, including further changes and/or developments made thereof during the Challenge. Funds of up to $200,000 will be paid based on milestones and scope of work. To avoid any doubt, winning the Challenge does not automatically lead to further legally binding contractual agreements with Pfizer. The detailed terms of possible future agreements between Pfizer and the winner (or any of the Entrants) will be negotiated separately and will not be linked to the Term set herein.

2. Mentoring and Guidance

Pfizer experts from various areas are available to the winning team for up to 20 hours of mentoring. Together with the winner, Pfizer will work out the exact needs and goals of the mentoring in order to provide information and to connect the winner with the suitable mentors.

In case you have any questions regarding the Challenge please contact the organizing team at Pfizer under [email protected]

More inforation about the challenge