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Proteus Digital Health™, NHS England and UK Trade & Investment to Bring Transformative Digital Health Technology to the UK
[March 10, 2014]

Proteus Digital Health™, NHS England and UK Trade & Investment to Bring Transformative Digital Health Technology to the UK


LONDON --(Business Wire)--

Leading digital medicines company Proteus Digital Health™ is partnering with Eastern Academic Health Science Network (EAHSN), The Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA) and Oxford University, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust and Oxford Academic Health Science Network (OAHSN) to bring digital health technology and global operations and manufacturing to the UK.

Each of the organisations will team up with Proteus (News - Alert) Digital Health™ to assess the value of digital medicines in supporting patients' medication taking behaviours and daily activity while realising significant cost savings.

Proteus Digital Health™ intends to employ 200 highly skilled individuals at its first international manufacturing site in the UK. The international manufacturing facility will serve as a new hub for the global digital medicines industry, transferring significant investment and know-how to the UK.

"I'm delighted that Proteus Digital Health is establishing their first international manufacturing site here in Britain, creating 200 highly skilled jobs," said Prime Minister David Cameron. "It's proof that our work to attract high-tech business to the UK is providing real benefits for people at home - all part of our long term economic plan."

The partnership was facilitated by NHS England and the Life Science Investment Organisation (LSIO) of UK Trade & Investment (UKTI). "This partnership will clearly benefit patients, the NHS and the economy," said Miles Ayling, Director of Innovation at NHS England.

"Our lives are becoming increasingly digital, a variety of sectors have already undergone fundamental changes through the introduction of innovative digital approaches," said Dr. Hakim Yadi, Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Health Science Alliance. "Healthcare is clearly the next sector to benefit from such changes and we are delighted to be working with Proteus to pioneer the use of this technology at scale in the North of England to the benefit of patients and the NHS."

Proteus Digital Health™ is working to create a new category of products, services and data systems that have the potential to sigificantly improve the effectiveness of existing pharmaceutical treatments. Called digital medicines, these new pharmaceuticals will contain a tiny sensor that communicates with a patch to deliver vital information about an individual's medication-taking behaviour and how their body is responding to therapy.



"The technology platform Proteus offers will allow digital health to become a reality, giving patients a role in managing their disease and allowing the management of chronic disease and drug compliance to be delivered in a much more cost effective way," said Sir John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine, Oxford University. "Oxford University and the Oxford Academic Health Science Network look forward to collaborating with Proteus to bring these exciting technologies to patients and improve their health."

"Some patients have trouble taking their medicines for a host of different reasons, which may result in decreased effect of the therapy and unnecessary costs," said Dr. Robert Winter, Managing Director, EAHSN. "Through this partnership, we will explore both the clinical and economic value of digital health technology in the treatment of hypertension."


Andrew Thompson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Proteus Digital Health™, said: "This marks an important milestone in the emergence of the global digital medicines industry. We are honoured to be working with leaders who are positioning the UK and NHS at the forefront of digital innovation in healthcare by delivering tools that empower patients and their families."

"This is fantastic news for Proteus Digital Health™ and for the UK," said Dr. Mark Treherne, Chief Executive Officer of UKTI's LSIO. "This move signifies a new economic opportunity and the growing momentum of transformational healthcare technology in the UK. Having a company of Proteus Digital Health™ calibre operating in the UK is a huge testament to the life science ecosystem and the global lead that the UK takes in supporting the adoption of new innovative products."

About the Northern Health Science Alliance

The Northern Health Science Alliance Ltd (NHSA) is a new partnership established by the leading Universities and NHS Hospital Trusts in the North of England to improve the health and wealth of the region by creating an internationally recognized life science and healthcare system. The company acts as focal point for NHSA members, including the four Academic Health Science Networks in the North of England and partner organisations to work collaboratively on projects that leverage the combined potential of the North. The NHSA supports its partners in working together to harness the resources, infrastructure, intellectual capital and experience of the whole Northern healthcare ecosystem.

Further information is available at: www.theNHSA.co.uk

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust (OUH)

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust (OUH) is one of the largest acute teaching trusts in the UK, with a national and international reputation for the excellence of its services and its role in patient care, teaching and research. The Trust supports world-leading research programmes. It works in close partnership with the University of Oxford and is a leading centre for cancer, neurosciences, diabetes, genetics and many other fields. Research themes of particular strength are: cancer, cardiovascular science, diabetes, endocrinology & metabolism, infection and immunology, musculoskeletal science, neuroscience and reproduction and development. The Trust has been designated as a major trauma centre and is one of four UK centres for craniofacial surgery. The Trust employs 11,000 staff and consists of four hospitals: the Churchill Hospital, John Radcliffe Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.

Further information is available at: www.ouh.nhs.uk

About Proteus Digital Health

Proteus Digital Health™ is pioneering a new category of products, services and data systems based on ingestible computing. Its core technology - the digital health feedback system - provides an unprecedented view into an individual's personal health choices and physiologic response, allowing patients to better manage their health and more effectively collaborate with caregivers and clinicians, while enabling new information-based business models. Proteus has received a CE mark in Europe and FDA market clearance in the U.S. for its wearable and Ingestible Sensor™ devices. Headquartered in Redwood City, Calif., Proteus is privately held and funded by Carlyle, Essex Woodlands, Kaiser Permanente®, Medtronic®, Novartis®, Otsuka®, Oracle (News - Alert)®, ON Semiconductor® and other investors.

Further information is available at: www.proteus.com

Eastern Academic Health Science Network

The EAHSN has been set up to promote the adoption, diffusion and spread of innovation into and throughout the NHS. Our aim is to use innovation to reduce unwarranted variation in service provision and to help build the new paradigms for an improved health service for the next generation. Drawing on this, and our successful innovation hub and Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) programmes, we will grow wealth and economic value, leveraging sustainable improvements in healthcare. The EAHSN will improve health outcomes, bridging the vital gap between world-class research and top-quality clinical care. Delivery is dependent on a transformational model based on four established biomedical and clinical communities, with a track record of excellence in research, education, health services and industry.

About UKTI LSIO

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is the government department that helps UK-based companies trade in the global economy and assists overseas companies bring their high-quality investment to the UK. UKTI has established a dedicated unit focused on UK life science - the UKTI Life Science Investment Organisation (LSIO). The LSIO works with overseas companies to identify research, development and delivery partners and provides support in every element of investing and working in the UK.

Further information is available at: www.ukti.gov.uk


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