February 20, 2015
Three MaRS health ventures announced expansion in the US this week. The technologies they offer range from personalized disease prevention and medication monitoring to real-time surveillance technology that controls the spread of hospital-acquired infections.
Their push into the US market is a sign of the continued growth of Ontario-based health and life sciences companies that are developing new tools that not only prevent illness, but also help speed up healing. Health and life sciences companies in Ontario generate revenues of $39 billion a year, with almost $6 billion generated by exports to countries all over the world. With annual healthcare spending in the US reaching $3.8 trillion in 2014, these solutions are critical to the future of our health systems.
MEMOTEXT’s HealthNHand, a personalized digital mobile platform aimed at improving medication adherence, launched in the US. HealthNHand will be offered to members of AmeriHealth District of Columbia, the largest Medicaid managed care organization in the District, with possible expansion to other markets this year.
“We are proud of the impact this platform will have on the future of adherence,” said Amos Adler, president of MEMOTEXT. “The first of its kind for a Pharmacy Benefits Manager, HealthNHand has the potential to improve health outcomes and cut health care costs.”
After completing a successful pilot program, Newtopia has signed an agreement with Aetna to offer its enterprise health engagement platform to Aetna’s employer customers and their employees. Newtopia is a health company that uses genetic testing and behavioural science to build personalized disease prevention plans. The company won the award for Best Health IT startup at last year’s MaRS HealthKick, an annual business pitch competition for health ventures at MaRS.
“This new program can inspire people to develop healthy habits that meet their specific needs, which can eventually help improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs,” said Jeff Ruby, founder and CEO of Newtopia.
Infonaut announced that its new affiliate, Infonaut Holdings, has been approved by START-UP NY, a program that helps key businesses expand and operate within New York State. Infonaut also announced Thomas P. Quinn as the new president, CEO and member of the Board. Infonaut specializes in real-time surveillance technology to prevent and control hospital-acquired infections, the fourth leading cause of death in North America.
“As a resident of Buffalo, I’m eager to kick off Infonaut’s US expansion right here in my hometown,” said Thomas Quinn. “Hospital acquired infections kill more people than AIDS, car accidents and breast cancer combined. Making an impact and saving lives across the US is what we are here to do.”