Improve treatment adherence in the elderly with chronic diseases, such is the objective of the partnership announced late in December 2016 between Bayer and the entrepreneurial center of the National University of Singapore (NUS). They unveiled the first « Grants4Apps Singapore » crowdsourcing project that aims to develop technological solutions for innovative health Singapore and throughout Asia-Pacific to improve adherence, one of the main challenges related to population ageing in the ASEAN region.
In December 2016, Bayer and NUS Enterprise, the entrepreneurial arm of the National University of Singapore (NUS) announced their partnership. Objective: improving treatment adherence in the elderly patients with chronic diseases.
They unveiled the first « Grants4Apps Singapore », web-based crowdsourcing project that aims to develop innovative health tech solutions in Singapore and across Asia Pacific to improve medication adherence in elderly people, one of the main challenges related to aging of the population in the ASEAN.
Grants4Apps Singapore: the three best projects will receive an award in May 2017
The « Grants4Apps Singapore » challenge is open to everyone in Singapore and across Southeast Asia (ASEAN), from health professionals, caregivers, engineers and scientists to students, developers, programmers, startups and entrepreneurs.
Three winners will be selected:
- they will each receive S$10,000 (€ 6 600) as financial support;
- they will access to personalized coaching (mentoring) from Bayer, NUS Enterprise and other industry partners, to help them advance their project ideas and their digital strategies for innovative technologies for doctors and consumers in the health sector.
Submissions to the « Grants4Apps Singapore » program will be closed on the 14th February 2017. Up to five teams will be selected in March 2017 for a final round of coaching. The competition will end in May 2017 with an awards ceremony.
Asia Pacific: an increasingly ageing population
Asia Pacific: the over 60 will represent 24% of global population in 2050
« Grants4Apps Singapore » was launched at the Transforming Ageing with Health Innovation Forum, an event organized by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Health, Singapore.
Participants included Yoriko Yasukawa, Regional Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Asia Pacific, healthcare experts, innovators, policymakers, academia, companies, NGOs and media from all over Southeast Asia.
According to official figures, the percentage of people aged 60 and above in Asia Pacific may double in 35 years, from 12% of the total population in 2016 to 24% in 2050.
This evolution would lead to a significant increase in the number of patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, age-related eye troubles and other disorders related to ageing.
According to the WHO , the number of annual deaths from chronic diseases in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific should reach 13 million and 14 million respectively in 2030.
Fight against chronic diseases: treatment compliance is a priority
Long-term treatments are essential for limiting the evolution of chronic diseases. Currently, according to the WHO, only 50% of patients adhere to long-term therapies. Cognitive decline and polypharmacy (the concomitant use of more than four medications) generally lead to poor treatment adherence.
Results: Therapeutic benefits decrease gradually, visits to the doctor are less frequent, healthcare expenditure increases in the long run, and over-treatment of some medical conditions can even be observed.
The first objective of « Grants4Apps Singapore » is to improve health outcomes in elderly patients by partnering with innovative market players; they aim at discovering and developing technological healthcare solutions to help patients overcome the barriers affecting medication adherence.
Photo: Launch of Bayer-NUS Grants4Apps Singapore challenge – December 2016.
From left to right: Irene Cheong, Director, NUS Industry Liasion Office; Claus Zieler, Senior VP/Head of Commercial Operations Bayer Pharmaceuticals Division Asia Pacific; Marcus Yim, Senior Bayer Representative, Bayer ASEAN; Kelvin Tan, Deputy Director, Business Development, NUS Enterprise.
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