Taiwan-based digital health startup Health2Sync has entered into a partnership with pharma giant Sanofi with the aim to apply the digital solution provided by Health2Sync in 300 clinics and hospitals nationwide certified by Taiwan Diabetes Shared Care Network over the next three years.

As part of the partnership, Health2Sync will provide patient management software for healthcare professionals and a mobile app for patients in 300 Sanofi-contracted clinics and hospitals, to realize an integrated and digitized diabetes management.  

The ultimate goal is to improve patients’ understanding of insulin, increase glucose control and raise the insulinization rate in Taiwan. Health2Sync’s analytics platform will assist doctors in real-time with decision making, treatment planning, and generating insights based on the health data collected with patient consent. The solution will help identify patients suited for insulin initiation and facilitate insulin titration for healthcare providers.

WHY IT MATTERS

According to an analysis in  2019 Diabetes Atlas: achievements and challenges in diabetes care in Taiwan, published by the Taiwan Association of Diabetes Educators, over 60% of diabetes patients in Taiwan cannot reach HbA1c <7%, and the insulinization rate in Taiwan is 12%, which is relatively low compared with America and European countries.

There are currently more than 2.2 million diabetes patients in Taiwan, which results in a huge and costly burden on the healthcare system. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, many patients are hesitant to seek the necessary care. Thus, the ability to leverage digital tools to help healthcare professionals provide a better long-term care and management to patients opened up an opportunity for collaboration between Sanofi and Health2Sync.

THE LARGER TREND

In September 2019, Health2Sync and Fitbit partnered to support diabetes management in Taiwan and Japan, MobiHealthNews reported. Last March, the Taiwan-based startup also partnered with Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd. in Japan to support digital diabetes management and facilitate communication between diabetics and healthcare providers.

ON THE RECORD

“Health2Sync’s solution brings a new definition to the chronic disease care loop, thanks to seamless data collection, real-time analytics, and ultimately, timely medical intervention. With our focus on digital therapeutics, there couldn’t have been a better market than Taiwan as a start, thanks to the local initiatives and robust medical practice. Our commitment to both empower patients and lessen the burden of the cost of complications arising from diabetes will be further exemplified in this partnership,” said Ed Deng, Co-founder & CEO of Health2Sync.

“Sanofi is not just a pharma company that provides medications. Sanofi is a healthcare company that combines medications and integrated care solutions to optimize the patient journey. The collaboration is just a beginning, and Sanofi aims to keep bringing digital therapeutics solutions to reach a comprehensive Diabetes Digital Healthcare Ecosystem,” added Shelley Chan, Head of Diabetes, Hong Kong & Taiwan at Sanofi.