Johnson & Johnson to Use Apple Watch App for Heart-Health Study -- Update
January 17 2019 - 8:14PM
Dow Jones News
By Kimberly Chin
Johnson & Johnson said Thursday that it has joined with
Apple Inc. on a research study that will test the Apple Watch's
ability to help detect early irregular heart conditions in certain
people before something life-threatening happens.
Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., which is a part of J&J's
family of research and development companies, will work on the
study. The company will use its J&J-developed heart health
monitoring app on the latest Apple Watch series. The app will help
detect the irregular heart rhythm of people living with atrial
fibrillation, a type of heart arrhythmia that often goes unnoticed
and can make them more prone to strokes.
The study is the latest attempt to tap into the ubiquity of the
mobile device and test its ability to help monitor or improve
health. Apple has allowed medical researchers and developers to use
its ResearchKit and CareKit platforms to create apps to start, run
and track their own clinical trials using Apple Watch
technology.
Apple also released its own study in 2017 in collaboration with
Stanford University researchers that attempts to test the Apple
Watch's ability to track irregular heartbeats. Over 400,000 people
participated in the study, according to Apple. In December, it
launched an ECG app on its Apple Watch Series 4 that would go
directly to consumers who wanted to check their heart rhythms.
J&J said the study will help measure the efficacy of the
Apple Watch in its ability to provide irregular heart rhythm
notifications that could help with the early detection of heart
conditions, as well as show whether certain medications are
effective.
"If people can get feedback from this technology and take
appropriate care, we hope this study would drive down the risk of
stroke. That will really move the needle in healthcare delivery
today," said Dr. Paul Burton, J&J's vice president of medical
affairs and one of the leads of the study.
The multiyear research program will launch sometime in 2019,
J&J said. The program will be available to individuals in the
U.S., ages 65 years or older who consent to the study.
More details of the study will come out in the next few months,
Dr. Burton said.
J&J has maintained that neither the company or Apple will
have access to identifiable patient data nor will that information
be available to third-party providers, such as healthcare systems
or insurers.
"One of the reasons we partnered with Apple is because of their
unparalleled data privacy and security capabilities. All
participants will be asked to sign an informed consent," a company
spokeswoman said.
Atrial fibrillation is a condition that causes an irregular and
often rapid, heart rate. It affects up to 2.7 million to 6.1
million people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
"Through Apple Watch people have been able to learn more about
their heart health, including discovering they have AFib. This kind
of information empowers customers to follow up with the right
treatment or even better, implement healthy habits aimed at
prevention," said Jeff Williams, chief operating officer of Apple,
in prepared remarks.
Write to Kimberly Chin at kimberly.chin@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 17, 2019 19:59 ET (00:59 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)
Historical Stock Chart
From Aug 2024 to Sep 2024
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)
Historical Stock Chart
From Sep 2023 to Sep 2024