PARIS, March 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanofi and
Voluntis announced today a non-exclusive agreement to deliver
digital insulin titration solutions, featuring a mobile phone
application designed to help improve decision-making and
self-management of type 2 diabetes for people treated with basal
insulin. The application will also enable remote monitoring by
health care teams. The agreement reinforces the existing alliance
between the two companies, established in 2011, by expanding both
its scope and geography.
The alliance will leverage Sanofi's expertise in bringing
innovative treatments to people living with diabetes and Voluntis'
experience in creating companion software. Sanofi and Voluntis will
launch pilot programs using the mobile phone application in
North America and several European
countries. The application received FDA clearance and the CE mark
in 2016.
Sanofi and Voluntis have worked together over several years to
develop innovative digital solutions. Their alliance began in 2011
with the development of Diabeo®, a software medical
device that helps people with diabetes in France to manage their basal-bolus
treatment.
"We are delighted to expand our long-standing collaboration
with Sanofi," said Eric Elliott,
Chairman of Voluntis and former CEO of Prime Therapeutics. "This
new phase of our partnership with a world leader in diabetes will
help us deliver digital titration tools into the hands of providers
and their patients. Furthermore, digital therapeutics allow
manufacturers and payers to check whether agreed value metrics have
been achieved and help to lower costs without compromising on
patient outcomes and access. They ensure that prescription
medications deliver the effects for which they were brought to
market."
"Despite the availability of new medicines for the treatment
of diabetes, we see that outcomes are not sufficiently improving
and that more than half of patients are not well
controlled,"1 said Peter
Guenter, Executive Vice-President, Diabetes &
Cardiovascular at Sanofi. "With this in mind, Sanofi is focusing
on a beyond-the-pill approach. We know that diabetes management is
a 24/7 job, and we recognize that the right tools need to be
developed to realize better outcomes. The long-term alliance we
have with Voluntis will help us to reach that goal."
About Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic condition
characterized by high blood sugar levels that stem from the body's
inappropriate production or use of insulin. In 2014, it was
estimated that 29 million Americans2 and 422 million
people worldwide3 have diabetes. About 90-95% of these
individuals have type 2 diabetes and 29% take some form of
insulin.4 Despite being provided with effective
medications, more than half of them do not meet the recommended
targets for glycemic control.5 Major contributing
factors include challenges with insulin initiation and titration.
Owing to the complications associated with diabetes, its total
annual cost in the US amounts to $245
billion. Optimizing adherence to diabetes medications is
recognized as one of the most effective ways of controlling disease
expenditures.6 The cost saving opportunity in the U.S is
estimated to be $4,690 per patient
per year.7
About Sanofi
Sanofi, a global healthcare leader,
discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused
on patients' needs. Sanofi is organized into five global business
units: Diabetes and Cardiovascular, General Medicines and Emerging
Markets, Sanofi Genzyme, Sanofi Pasteur and Consumer Healthcare.
Sanofi is listed in Paris
(EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York
(NYSE: SNY).
About Voluntis
Pioneering therapeutic companion
software, Voluntis innovates healthcare by embedding connectivity
in therapeutics and medical intelligence in software. Dedicated to
managing chronic conditions, Voluntis' companion software aim to
enable treatment personalization, to support team-care coordination
and to improve real-world outcomes. Harnessing its proprietary
technology, Voluntis has developed digital solutions for diabetes,
cancer, anticoagulation treatments and haemophilia. Voluntis is
headquartered in Paris, France,
and has offices in Cambridge, MA.
For more information, visit http://www.voluntis.com.
References
- Lipska KJ et al. Trends in Drug Utilization, Glycemic Control,
and Rates of Severe Hypoglycemia, 2006–2013. Diabetes Care 2016
Sep; dc160985. Retrieved March 13th
from https://doi.org/10.2337/dc16-0985
- National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2014. (2014). Retrieved
February 10, 2017, from
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/statsreport14/national-diabetes-report-web.pdf
- Roglic, G. (2016). Global report on diabetes. Retrieved
February 10, 2017 from
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/204871/1/9789241565257_eng.pdf?ua=1
- National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2014. (2014). Retrieved
February 10, 2017, from
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/statsreport14/national-diabetes-report-web.pdf
- Bailey CJ, Kodack M. "Patient adherence to medication
requirements for therapy of type 2 diabetes." Int J Clin Pract.
2011 Mar; 65(3):314-22.
- National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2014. (2014). Retrieved
February 10, 2017, from
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/statsreport14/national-diabetes-report-web.pdf
- Diabetes Care Value Program Guarantees More Affordable,
Higher-Quality Diabetes Care. Express Scripts. Sep 1, 2016.
Sanofi Forward-Looking Statements
This
press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended.
Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical
facts. These statements include projections and estimates and their
underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives,
intentions and expectations with respect to future financial
results, events, operations, services, product development and
potential, and statements regarding future performance.
Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words
"expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates",
"plans" and similar expressions. Although Sanofi's management
believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking
statements are reasonable, investors are cautioned that
forward-looking information and statements are subject to various
risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and
generally beyond the control of Sanofi, that could cause actual
results and developments to differ materially from those expressed
in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and
statements. These risks and uncertainties include among other
things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development,
future clinical data and analysis, including post marketing,
decisions by regulatory authorities, such as the FDA or the EMA,
regarding whether and when to approve any drug, device or
biological application that may be filed for any such product
candidates as well as their decisions regarding labelling and other
matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential
of such product candidates, the absence of guarantee that the
product candidates if approved will be commercially successful, the
future approval and commercial success of therapeutic alternatives,
Sanofi's ability to benefit from external growth opportunities
and/or obtain regulatory clearances, risks associated with
intellectual property and any related pending or future litigation
and the ultimate outcome of such litigation, trends in
exchange rates and prevailing interest rates, volatile economic
conditions, the impact of cost containment initiatives and
subsequent changes thereto, the average number of shares
outstanding as well as those discussed or identified in the public
filings with the SEC and the AMF made by Sanofi, including those
listed under "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Statement Regarding
Forward-Looking Statements" in Sanofi's annual report on Form 20-F
for the year ended December 31, 2016.
Other than as required by applicable law, Sanofi does not undertake
any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information
or statements.
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SOURCE Voluntis