The Mutualité Française rewards three drivers of citizen innovations
At its congress in Marseille from September 7 to 9, 2022, the Mutualité Française organized its 5th Mutual Innovation Awards, in partnership with Le Liberté Living-Lab. This event highlights three committed projects or innovative solutions designed to reduce health inequalities. In addition to a student newspaper, two businesses directly involved in the healthcare industry were rewarded.
E-ophtalmo was awarded the “Social and Territorial Healthcare Inequalities” prize. This is the first telemedicine network dedicated to eye care and visual health. The orthoptist carries out physical examinations (at the practice or mobile) then sends the results to a local ophthalmologist who provides a remote diagnostic. This solution helps in the fight against medical deserts by reducing the difficulties of access to care.
The “People’s Choice” Award went to Le MarSOINS. The company has four trucks equipped with medical units that travel around the west of France. It also has areas where people can talk and discuss matters that offer free advice on healthcare, without an appointment. Open to everyone and targeting in particular those who are far from healthcare facilities, these mobile units perform health check-ups, hearing tests, eye tests, dental check-ups, screening,…
Professor Karim Fizazi and Dr. Bernard Escudier recipients of the 2022 ESMO Awards
On September 9, 2022, the official awards of ESMO (European Society of Medical Oncology) were presented during the opening ceremony of its annual congress, in Paris, from September 9 to 13. Four prestigious awards were granted, including two to research physicians at Gustave Roussy.
Professor Karim Fizazi, medical oncologist, specialist in the management of prostate cancer and testicular cancer, received the ESMO Award. He set up the “Prostate Cancer Consortium in Europe” (PEACE) and managed the two first major phase III European trials, PEACE 1 and PEACE 2. The PEACE-1 study led to a halving of the risk of tumor progression (i.e. an improvement of two and a half years in the survival rate with no progression of the illness) for patients with metastatic prostate cancer, with in addition a 25% reduction of their risk of death. In patients with serious testicular cancer, the GETUG-13 study changed the practices thanks to a 35% reduction in the risk of relapse.
Dr. Bernard Escudier, medical oncologist and specialist in renal cancer, was presented with the ESMO Lifetime Achievement Award, as reward for his numerous works carried out throughout his career that have contributed to improving the management of renal cancer. His works relate mainly to immunotherapy and the development of new therapeutic strategies in renal cancer. Author of 500 publications, he has in particular been involved in the development of anti-VEGF and anti-PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors. These targeted therapies have quadrupled the survival rate for patients.
Coalition Next awards six Trophies to e-health startups
Coalition Next is a collective of private and public operators in the healthcare sector gathered together to promote the adoption and experimentation of digital health in France for the benefit of patients and healthcare professionals, driven by the incubator Digital Pharma Lab. On September 21, 2022, this collective awarded six trophies to innovative e-health startups, in six different categories.
WeCare@Work was awarded the “patient centricity” trophy. The startup proposes a solution to adjust the professional lives of employees affected by an illness, in particular a cancer, and that need to follow a restrictive care pathway.
In the “impact” category, the trophy was awarded to Calmedica. The company has developed a remote multi-pathology monitoring platform, based on artificial intelligence, that tracks patients at home and enables communications with them via SMS before and after hospitalization. Its solution targeting chronic inflammatory bowel disease (CIBD) has already been deployed in the Rennes and Grenoble University Hospitals, with the support of Takeda.
Chronolife was awarded the “scale up” trophy, for its connected T-shirt. Its multiparametric connected medical textiles coupled with the integration of third-party connected devices mean that healthcare professionals are able to better monitor their patients. Sensors send them physiological data continuously, namely electrocardiogram (ECG), thoracic and abdominal respiration, skin temperature, thoracic impedance and physical activity.
The “collaboration” trophy was awarded to SimforHealth and its RareSim simulation platform that aims to better train medical personnel in the screening of rare diseases, by making use of interactive simulation exercises, to thus reduce diagnostic odyssey.
The panel awarded its People’s Choice trophy to HospitaLink. Using this application, patients can communicate directly with carers about their needs, via symbolic icons (thirst, pain, etc.). 20,000 patients and 3,000 carers use it today in France and Belgium.
Amazon Web Services gave a People’s Choice award to myCharlotte. This platform proposes a program of support care, in visio, for patients with cancer, with their carers, based on video or audio exercises (psychology, sophrology, physical activity…).
