Newel Health, a digital therapeutic solution provider, has entered the next phase of development for Soturi, a digital therapeutic solution for Parkinson’s disease management, after receiving a grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF).
Developed in partnership with Orion Corporation, Soturi leverages data collected from a wearable sensor using an algorithm-based decision-making method to optimize and personalize treatment for people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) while also delivering a host of useful digital services to the solution’s users.
Soturi utilizes smart band technology equipped with inertial sensors to track movements, detect symptom patterns, and allow physicians to monitor the frequency and severity of their patient’s symptoms. The current phase of the project aims to validate the effectiveness of the Soturi algorithms as a decision support system for physicians treating people with Parkinson’s.
Soturi’s clinical research is being conducted under the supervision of the project’s lead clinical advisor prof. Maria Teresa Pellecchia, associate professor in Neurology at the Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry “Scuola Medica Salernitana” at the University of Salerno and responsible for the Program of “Experimental Neurology” at the University Hospital “San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona” in Salerno. Professor Pellecchia has long-term clinical research experience in movement disorders, particularly Parkinson’s disease and atypical parkinsonism.
“The Soturi solution, while providing complementary treatments to patients with Parkinson’s disease, is expected to fulfill an important unmet need for both patients and physicians, that is the correct recognition and remote monitoring of motor symptoms, motor fluctuations and dyskinesia,” said prof. Maria Teresa Pellecchia.
“Orion is committed to creating novel solutions that will improve the lives of patients living with chronic diseases and to help the healthcare professionals that treat them,” said Sammeli Liikkanen, head of Digital Medicines at Orion Corporation. “Orion is proud, pleased and looking forward to future activities in the Soturi project. We thank MJFF, patient associations and global network of PD patients, and HCPs that treat them for their collaboration and support in this project.”
“Soturi offers a behavioral science-driven companion for navigating life with Parkinson’s disease, providing contextualized support to build and maintain healthy habits, including treatment adherence, in several cultures and language groups across Europe and the US,” said Dr. Silja-Riin Voolma, head of Behavioral Science at Newel Health.
“We are thrilled to be launching the next phase of development for Soturi, and grateful for funding support from The Michael J. Fox Foundation, a significant contribution in Newel Health’s profile of digital therapeutic solutions to improve the lives of its users. The project, now in its 3rd year, proves that successful collaborations in the development of Digital Therapeutic solutions can be made working in partnership with like-minded pharmaceutical companies like Orion,” said Gerry Chillè, chief strategy officer at Newel Health.
“Soturi’s algorithm-based clinical decision support system will be designed to provide physicians with real-time data and insights to optimize and personalize treatment for people with Parkinson’s,” said Giovanni Gentile, clinical trial manager at Newel Health. “Designing algorithms and digital services that can go beyond the limitations of current in-clinic assessments by capturing valuable information from people’s daily lives is our most fascinating challenge. We are excited to collaborate with Professor Pellecchia and her team to validate the clinical effectiveness of Soturi’s digital health technology.”
