Nordic Life Science 1
the current bricks-and-mortar healthcare system,”
says Arnason. Arnason and his colleagues believe there is a void in the treatment of chronic disease, and that it will soon be unacceptable to leave the doctor’s office without digital care as part of the treatment. “Sidekick exists to fill this void,” he says. Today, the company operates a digital care platform and provides 360-degree support to people with chronic illnesses. This includes remote monitoring, treatment adherence and disease specific education – driven by gamification. “Our solution is scalable across multiple therapeutic areas and applicable across the healthcare ecosystem. That means that we can work with pharmaceutical giants, as well as healthcare payers and providers,” says Arnason. The company has recently also made several important deals with pharma giants, including Pfizer and Bayer. “I firmly believe that in the coming years no drug will be launched to market without a digital companion, i.e. a digitally delivered clinical treatment that augments pharmacotherapy to boost health outcomes. Patients access the treatment via a mobile phone application that is designed to address lifestyle factors and nudge people towards lasting behavior modification that increases the overall efficacy of combination treatment. As combination treatment, medicine agencies such as the FDA and EMA will then approve a treatment that consists of a drug and a digital therapeutic to be marketed and reimbursed by payers,” says Arnason. The brand teams of pharmaceutical majors have been early explorers of digital therapeutics and digital health solutions, he adds. “But achieving positive health outcomes is increasingly playing an important role as an incentive for pharmaceutical firms to integrate digital solutions early into their offerings to meet the potential value-based reimbursement requirements of the future.” Being an Icelandic life science company means both opportunities and challenges, says Gulli Arnason. On the positive side for the company are access to exceptional talent across a variety of disciplines and a solid track record of punching above its weight. However, the size of the population brings its own challenges, he adds.