- Participating start-ups will be able to propose digital solutions for 3 challenges, the first one in the area of movement disorders, the second one in cognitive-behavioural disorders and the third one in chronic pain management
- The call will be launched on May 25th, 2020, at 6 pm CET, in a Live Streaming Event at streamingsf4F.com
Barcelona, May 25th, 2020. Ferrer’s Digital Health and Technology department launches the new challenges of the Ferrer 4 Future (F4F) innovation program for spring 2020. The initiative invites start-ups and companies in the field of digital health to develop health solutions through the use of novel technologies. From the 25th of May to the 28th of August, companies can propose digital solutions, through the website Ferrer4Future.com, that respond to the 3 challenges: care for patients with movement disorders, reduction of dependence in patients with cognitive behavioural disorders, and support for finding the optimal dose of analgesia in patients with chronic pain.
Ferrer’s continued commitment to this collaborative program with technology-based start-ups is a true reflection of its support to open innovation. Ferrer recognizes that digital health is a key tool to improve patients’ clinical outcomes and, at the same time, it is a lever to develop new data-based business models that can transform the company’s capabilities and strengths.
Olga Fidalgo, Chief Scientific and Business Development Officer, reaffirms Ferrer’s clear commitment to a model of open innovation in the field of digital health which began two years ago: “At Ferrer we are convinced that collaboration with third parties is the vehicle which allows us to bring together the best knowledge for the generation of new solutions capable of improving health outcomes and quality of life, as well as facilitating patients’ interaction with health professionals“.
Likewise, Gemma Estrada, head of Digital Health at Ferrer, states that “digital technologies and advanced data analysis improve health outcomes while providing patients with a superior experience in relation to their personalized treatment. Digital health makes it easier to provide more individualized, integrated and sustainable healthcare “.
Three solutions to improve patients’ lives
In order to help patients with movement disorders who suffer tremor or seizure crises and are at risk of developing physical injuries due to falls or accidents, the first challenge proposed seeks solutions to reliably predict the next crisis so that the patient can take preventive measures to avoid or manage it.
The second challenge aims to help patients with cognitive behavioural disorders to reduce their dependence on caregivers, improve their quality of life and also improve their relationships with healthcare professionals.
Finally, the objective of the third challenge is to find digital technologies to help patients suffering from chronic pain, including those undergoing opioid treatment, to find an optimal adjustment of the dose of analgesic.
Helping patients, but also their caregivers, and providing valuable solutions to medical professionals and hospitals, is the aim of the Ferrer 4 Future program. “In today’s value-based healthcare environment, we want to go beyond clinical safety and efficacy trials by using information technology systems to integrate clinical evidence with real-world evidence and better serve both patients and medical professionals in the healthcare delivery process,” explains Gemma Estrada.
About the Ferrer 4 Future program
The F4F program is tailor-made, depending on the nature of each project and the degree of maturity of the solution proposed by the start-up. The duration can vary between 3 and 18 months. Access is guaranteed to Ferrer’s mentors and experts, as well as to internal resources, in order to speed up the creation of the solution. The process begins with a careful selection of the proposed solutions to the challenges proposed. The start-ups defend their solutions in front of a committee of experts from Ferrer, who selects the winners. The winners then participate in the Ferrer4Future program, which includes the possibility of piloting the solution in a real use case and the possibility of exploring commercial alliances and collaborations with Ferrer.
About Ferrer
At Ferrer we want to create a better society by promoting people’s real wellbeing. While working to contribute to people’s health and quality of life, we are aware of the responsibility we have to our environment, which is why we are strongly committed to social, environmental and economic sustainability. Established in Barcelona in 1959, we are currently present in more than one hundred countries and our team is made up of 1,850 people across the globe. We provide trusted solutions through real and focussed innovation in the areas of pain, nervous system, cardiometabolism and self-care. In all our activity, we aim to achieve sustainable growth, doing our work as well as we know and ensuring a responsible value chain.
Ferrer, for good.
