CareDx, a precision medicine company focused on discovering, developing, and commercialization of healthcare solutions for transplant patients and caregivers, acquired Transplant Hero, a New York-based provider of an app that helps people receiving new organs remember to take their medication.
The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Transplant Hero provides a smartphone app focused on helping transplant patients manage their medications through alarms and interactive logging of medication events.
Transplant Hero says medication management is necessary for transplant patients who must follow a regular regimen to protect against organ rejection. The number of pills and the complexity of the regimen often make medication management a challenge.
Transplant Hero offers services for patients receiving a kidney, heart, lung, liver, pancreas, and small bowel transplant.
According to the CDC, about 75,000 people are waiting for organ transplants in the US on any given day. However, there are hardly about 8,000 deceased organ donors per year and 6,000 living donors per year.
After an organ transplant, patients are typical prescribed an anti-rejection medicine. According to the Mayo Clinic, each patient can be impacted differently by the type of medication, dosage, and side effects. The Mayo Clinic Notes, medication adherence is essential after a transplant, and the third major cause of transplant failure is not taking the anti-rejection medication properly.
“CareDx and Transplant Hero are both dedicated to improving outcomes for transplant patients,” said Reg Seeto, President and CEO, CareDx. “Transplant Hero’s easy-to-use interface and transplant focus allows us to expand into different organs. We will be able to leverage Transplant Hero’s well-established social media presence to augment AlloCare, which has been built around patients from kidney transplant centers.”
A total of 63 digital health companies were acquired in Q1 2021, compared to 52 in Q4 2020, according to Mercom’s Q1 2021 Digital Health Funding and M&A Report. GetWellNetwork, a digital patient engagement platform, acquired patient-messaging app Docent Health for an undisclosed sum. The Boston-based Docent Health is backed by $15 million funding. Backers include Bessemer Venture Partners, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), and Maverick Ventures.
