Digital Health Coffee Time Briefing ☕

Your morning summary of digital health news, information and events to know about if you want to be “in the know”.   

???? News  

???? An international clinical trial which is investigating a novel synthetic formulation of the psychedelic substance 5-MeO-DMT (also known as Mebufotenin) for Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD) has expanded into a new London location – and is seeking suitable candidates. Clerkenwell Health – a company delivering clinical trials for the treatment of complex mental health conditions – has partnered with clinical-stage biotechnology company Beckley Psytech to see if BPL-003, the company’s rapid-acting and short-duration formulation of 5-MeO-DMT, can treat the condition. 

???? A trio of experts is proposing companies that produce AI tools in healthcare should be regulated based on their ability to achieve patient benefits. In a recent Viewpoint article published by JAMA, three experts from the University of California San Diego argue that AI in healthcare should be regulated based on the ability of AI tools to generate positive changes in patient outcomes. 

???? Persistent pain, which is often incurable, affects between 31.5% to 53% of people across the UK, with symptoms ranging from mild discomfort to debilitating pain. To help tackle this growing issue, researchers in Wales are stepping up with the help of Wales’s national health research registry, Healthwise Wales — to embark on a study known as the Persistent Pain Project. The project has been made possible through HealthWise Wales — an online research registry and data collection platform with more than 40,000 participants, designed to enable Welsh people to influence and take part in public health research. 

???? Lilli, the SaaS company using a proactive lifestyle monitoring technology to revolutionise care, today announces that it has raised £8.2 million (USD 10.3m) in Series A financing, a 37% increase in its initial target. This comes off the back of its Pre Series A in March 2021 where it was oversubscribed by 46%.  Through smart, non-intrusive technology and proprietary AI and machine learning (LLM), Lilli observes patterns and trends among users to equip care workers with clear and accurate insights into wellbeing and what is happening in the home. The technology helps to support accurate decision making and means behavioural changes can be easily identified before conditions become acute, improving health outcomes and reducing hospital visits. 

???? The human genetics division of German laboratory diagnostics company Bioscientia has launched a clinical long-read whole-genome sequencing test to diagnose patients with certain sensory disorders, its first such test for routine diagnostics. The company plans to expand the test, which runs on the PacBio Revio platform and uses HiFi reads, to other inherited conditions in the near future.   

❓ Did you know that 

Over a fifth of straight Brits believe they are unlikely to contract HIV despite rising cases among heterosexuals, according to new data revealed at the start of HIV testing week. According to the latest government figures, released by Newfoundland Diagnostics, straight people now account for almost half of all new cases the research shows 73% of straight Brits have never tested for HIV even though 40% of all new diagnoses are heterosexual people. 

???? What we’re reading 

The US Supreme Court will consider whether Covid misinformation is protected free speech, according to a story in STAT. 

???? This week’s events 

8-9 February, Birmingham – HSJ Digital Transformation Summit