Sanofi Joins $27M Series B Round in Aetion to Advance Real-World Healthcare Data Analytics

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) has learned that medical technology company Aetion recently raised $27 million in a new round of Series B financing. The round was jointly invested by new investors Sanofi, UCB, McKesson Ventures, and Horizon Health Services, as well as existing investors New Enterprise Associates, Flare Capital, and Lakestar.

Including the funds raised in early 2018, Aetion has cumulatively secured $63 million in Series B financing, bringing its total funding to $77 million. In 2017, the company raised $11.2 million in Series A financing.

2019 will be a year of strong growth for Aetion, with the funding to be used to further expand the coverage of its real-world data analytics platform—the Aetion Evidence Platform—including in the fields of oncology, immunology, cardiometabolic disease, and neurology.

Aetion, founded in 2013, is a healthcare technology company. The company is dedicated to conducting real-world medical big data research. Its Aetion Evidence Platform helps users make decisions by collecting and analyzing vast amounts of real-world big data, such as determining which treatment is more effective, which therapeutic approach is most appropriate, and when to initiate treatment.

Real-world healthcare big data refers to data derived from sources outside of traditional clinical trials, including electronic medical records, health records, and clinical assessment records provided by healthcare practitioners; behavioral data from patients’ social networks and patient outcomes research data; marketing and R&D data provided by pharmaceutical companies; and reimbursement data held by health insurance agencies. Together, these data constitute real-world healthcare big data.

For a long time, before drugs are launched on the market, researchers have conducted clinical trials in specific populations through random sampling to ensure the safety and efficacy of the drugs. However, after the drugs are launched, there have been cases where the actual effectiveness of the drugs does not match the results of the clinical trials. In response, Aetion claims to have ushered in a new era. After the drug is launched, Aetion analyzes real-world healthcare big data to accurately and comprehensively reflect the situation of the drug during its actual use, helping researchers make better decisions.

It is reported that eight of the world’s top 15 biopharmaceutical companies, as well as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are utilizing Aetion’s real-world medical big data services. In 2017, Aetion achieved a 100% customer renewal rate.

Ameet Nathwani, Chief Medical Officer of Sanofi, stated, “With the advancement of human medicine, the paradigm of medical evidence is continuously evolving. Driven by real-world studies and big data, the future paradigm of medical evidence will undergo a profound transformation. We believe that Aetion is leading this transformation.”

Carolyn Magill, CEO of Aetion, stated, “The era of real-world healthcare big data has arrived. Nearly the entire healthcare sector recognizes that real-world healthcare big data can significantly reduce the time and cost required to bring new drugs to market.”

Headquartered in Paris, France, Sanofi is a healthcare company dedicated to developing innovative medical technologies. As a global leader in healthcare, the company’s core business spans three areas: pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and animal health. With a workforce of over 100,000 employees worldwide, Sanofi provides healthcare services in 170 countries. In 1982, Sanofi established an office in China, becoming one of the first multinational pharmaceutical companies to enter the Chinese market.

UCB, founded in 1928 and headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, is a biopharmaceutical company. The company is dedicated to neurology and immunology, with over 7,500 employees across Belgium, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

McKesson Ventures is a healthcare services and information technology company based in California, USA.

Horizon Health Services, located in Pennsylvania, United States, is a healthcare organization dedicated to providing care services to patients and their families. The organization is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).

New Enterprise Associates, founded in 1977 and headquartered in California, USA, is a venture capital firm focused on investing in healthcare companies. The firm has invested in over 210 companies and facilitated more than 360 acquisitions.

Flare Capital is a venture capital firm founded in 2013, focusing on investing in companies within the medical technology sector. The firm provides funding and technical support to early-stage medical technology companies, helping them grow into industry-leading enterprises.

Lakestar is a Swiss venture capital firm founded by Klaus Hommels, a renowned European venture capitalist. Klaus Hommels has invested in many prominent companies, such as Facebook, Spotify, and Skype.

(Compiled by Jiao Yanli)