Photo: Mareen Fischinger, Photographer/Getty Images
Health monitoring platform Empatica announced it acquired PKG Health, a company offering movement disorder algorithms and digital endpoints for Parkinson’s disease.
Empatica offers AI-enabled wearables, digital biomarkers and software for health monitoring and treatment, including its Empatica Health Monitoring Platform, a remote patient monitoring tool for clinical trials.
The company received FDA clearance in June for its pulse oximetry algorithm that collects data directly from the wrist. Clearance came with a Predetermined Change Control Plan, meaning the company could update its algorithm without requiring a new 510(k) submission.
Among its offerings are Empatica's EmbracePlus, a wrist wearable for clinical trial use. It collects digital biomarkers and raw data and utilizes cloud software and a software suite to assist academic and clinical trial researchers.
The wearable measures peripheral skin temperature, pulse rate and pulse rate variability; collects raw acceleration and angular velocity data; and detects changes of electrical conductance at the skin's surface.
The company also offers EmbraceMini, an actigraphy device for clinical care use and research.
PKG Health is an innovator in disorder algorithms and digital endpoints for Parkinson’s disease.
Empatica will utilize PKG's algorithms to enhance its monitoring technology to include movement disorder monitoring. The company said the acquisition will broaden its reach and market potential within clinical care, neurology research and diagnostics.
"PKG Health has built the largest body of clinical evidence in neurologic movement disorders using wearables," Matteo Lai, Empatica’s CEO and cofounder, said in a statement.
"By combining these algorithms with our patient monitoring platform, especially our new EmbraceMini device, we will provide the most comprehensive solution for monitoring Parkinson’s disease. We look forward to serving new patients, clinicians and researchers with state-of-the-art medical care, moving far beyond what has been possible to date."
THE LARGER TREND
In May, Empatica received CE mark approval for EpiMonitor, an epilepsy monitoring offering that combines a wearable and an app. The offering aims to detect seizures and provide alerts with continuous health monitoring.
Other digital health companies focusing on Parkinson's disease include Neu Health, a smartphone platform for Parkinson's disease and dementia.
In July, the company announced it received FDA 510(k) clearance for its smartphone-based tremor measurement module that aims to quantify tremors in adults with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease.
Last year, Turkey-based digital health startup h2o therapeutics announced its Apple Watch-enabled freezing of gait-cuing feature, dubbed Foggy, designed for Parkinson’s disease patients, received FDA listing as a Class II medical device and is available via prescription.
