EIT Health Germany Series 2: Improving Medication Prescribing With Digital Twins (ExactCure)
Medication management is a global challenge with costs related to medication errors estimated at 42 billion USD. “In France alone, inappropriate use of medications kills five times more people than road traffic accidents and costs the French public healthcare system 10 million euros,” says Margaux Kerhousse, Business Developer at ExactCure.
ExactCure is a digital health startup from France addressing the challenge of preventing the negative effects of medications. Each individual has a different metabolism and can react differently to a drug or combination of drugs.
In the field of precision medicine, researchers are exploring an increasing number of genetic biomarkers that could help predict an individual’s response to medications, in relation to pharmacokinetics (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of a drug) and pharmacodynamics (examines the relationship between measured drug concentrations in serum, tissues, and body fluid). For example, the amount of the enzyme, now termed CYP2D6, can determine if a person is a rapid or a poor metabolizer of certain drugs. Genotyping or phenotyping for CYP2D6 may be a tool to predict proper initial dosing of drugs.
Digitial Twins for Medication Use
ExactCure takes patient details such as age, gender, kidney status, genotype, smoker, or any other individual parameter that has a proven influence on a specific medication, and creates a digital twin - a digital replica of the patient. This digital twin can then be used for simulations of the effects and interactions of drugs in the body of patients based on their personal characteristics.
The company is starting out with research in pain management, rheumatology, cancers, cardiovascular diseases, lung diseases, COPD, rare diseases, neurology, psychiatry. Their database of recommendations currently covers 3000 out of 10.000 drugs in France, says Margaux Kerhousse.
The impact of EIT Health Programs
As part of their startup journey, Exactcure participated in several EIT Health Germany programs. From Startups meet Healthcare Providers, Startups Meet Pharma to EIT Health Investor Network, EIT Health Headstart program, and EIT Health Living Lab and Test Beds.
As described by Fabien Astic, Chief Business Development Officer at ExactCure, these involvements have had a significant role in the development of the company. They enabled coaching, mentorships, and strategic partnerships. By participating in the Startups Meet Healthcare Providers program, for example, ExactCure is discussing a partnership with the University Hospital Centre Sisters of Charity in Zagreb.
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