Five Promising Digital Health Startups Transforming Clinical Research File for IPO

For pharmaceutical companies and healthcare institutions, clinical research has always been a time-consuming, labor-intensive, and costly endeavor that cannot be bypassed. To leverage internet healthcare to improve the efficiency of clinical research, tech giants such as Apple and Google have already taken action. In addition, some early-stage startups are also making concerted efforts to tap into this market. VCBeat has compiled six overseas projects with distinct entry points, which are becoming catalysts for clinical research.

AiCure [Medication Adherence Tracking in Clinical Trials]



Adam Hanina, CEO of AiCure, recounted an incident that occurred during landscaping at a clinical trial site. When gardeners removed the thick hedges beneath a window, they discovered thousands of pills hidden underneath—medications that participants were supposed to take but had casually discarded there. AiCure’s artificial intelligence platform was developed precisely to prevent such occurrences. The software can be installed on smartphones and verifies that study participants adhere to their medication regimens during Phase II–IV trials. Hanina explained that there are many reasons why patients fail to comply with prescribed dosing: they may simply be seeking compensation for participating in the study; they might be self-managing drug side effects; they may believe they can adjust their dosage on their own; or they may feel the medication is ineffective and therefore discontinue use. Regardless of the reason, it is crucial for researchers to know which individuals are actually taking their medications.

To date, AiCure has deployed this platform in five clinical trials. Hanina projects that, with upcoming projects included, its total application will encompass thousands of patients. The software is modular, allowing it to be readily adapted to diverse protocols, including more challenging trials involving pediatric, geriatric, or psychiatric patients.

The software works in conjunction with artificial intelligence algorithms, rather than relying solely on basic video. Hanina stated that all stored videos are blurred and encrypted, so patients need not worry at all about the leakage of their personal health information.

GoBalto [Digital Clinical Research Solutions]



GoBalto provides eClinical systems to organizations conducting clinical research, shortening the overall cycle time and reducing costs. Since Sujay Jadhav assumed the role of CEO in November 2013, GoBalto has experienced substantial growth. According to Jadhav, in 2014, GoBalto focused its efforts on enhancing its products, automating processes, and investing in customer support and infrastructure. These year-long strenuous efforts yielded corresponding returns: the company’s customer base doubled, while platform usage increased fivefold.

The company has just launched an updated version of its solution product, Activate. The new version focuses on enhancing document management, improving business processes, and upgrading reminder functionalities—areas where 80% of the critical activities and milestone features are typically lacking in traditional eTMF and document management systems.

Jadhav stated that he plans to “productize everything.” Currently, customized studies for new clients can be set up and launched within just one week, while existing clients can add studies in a matter of hours. Many of its customers, such as ICON, which Jadhav specifically highlighted, have deployed Activate across their entire enterprises.

Despite achieving strong growth last year, Jadhav has no intention of slowing down. In January this year, the company secured another $12 million in funding. Jadhav stated that he plans to use these funds to expand customer support, build global infrastructure, allocate capital for marketing, and invest in product design, thereby bringing GoBalto “closer to the feasibility space.” Jadhav believes that capital itself is at the core of the business, so the additional cash could also be used for small niche acquisitions.

Parallax Online [Clinical Trial Teaching System]



For all high-tech solutions, achieving clinical trial automation requires the indispensable involvement of patients and the site staff who interact with these technologies. Parallax Online has garnered significant attention by earning a spot on the shortlist for the Best Practice Awards from Clinical Informatics News, thanks to its outstanding performance in interactive training. Parallax innovatively combines high technology, extensive clinical trial expertise, instructional design, and new media applications into training programs related to clinical trials and other research.

Parallax found that their solution can directly reduce operational costs, with savings of up to 80% compared to traditional methods. Students can adjust their progress at their own pace and self-assess throughout the process. Most interestingly, the solution provides students with a virtual patient to practice what they have learned after training, rather than having them practice on real patients who are painstakingly recruited.

Comprehend Clinical [Cloud Platform for Clinical Trial Model Optimization]


Rick Morrison, CEO of Comprehend Clinical, frankly stated that he does not believe companies such as Oracle, clinical research organizations (CROs), Medidata, or Accenture can bring significant innovation to the industry. He said, “True innovation comes from various small organizations, as they are not yet constrained by existing business models.” At Comprehend, Morrison focuses on tailoring models to customer needs, helping clients better understand their businesses and accelerate clinical trials.

Comprehend’s cloud platform is vendor-neutral, designed to help sponsors understand their trial vision and provide them with tools to monitor study startup metrics, protocol deviations, and patient behavior. Morrison stated that the shift from traditional methods to a data-driven approach is an inevitable path.

Morrison continued, “We need more available drugs and a better understanding of them. While having access to a larger patient population is certainly preferable, we should equip people with better tools to make more informed decisions.” He also cited instances where clinical scientists had to wait a full month just to receive a PDF report, underscoring his point.

The clinical trial landscape is evolving. Morrison believes that the industry will look different within five years. By providing better tools and making more data-driven decisions, everyone can emerge as a winner.

ePharmaSolutions [Digital Clinical Research Solutions]



Among the three winners of the Clinical Informatics News Best Practices Awards, ePharmaSolutions was one of the recipients, winning the Patient Data Management Award.

Over the past year, ePharmaSolutions’ SitePortal has been deployed in more than 60 studies conducted at leading specialized investigative sites, with the objective of assessing whether a paperless clinical trial environment affects site performance. The first beta-test site was the Raleigh Neurology Associates (RNA). The study methodology involved comparing changes in coordination time and productivity before and after SitePortal implementation. According to RNA’s report, during the first nine months of 2014, studies using SitePortal demonstrated a 30% improvement in time efficiency and productivity compared with those not using SitePortal, and the overall subject enrollment rate increased by 25%.

(Compiled by Chen Xin)