Friday Five: NICE wins for Qbtech, Boston Scientific and Medtronic; Nvidia and Aidoc BRIDGEs AI adoption gap; and more

Friday Five

By: Tina Tan

Ref: Friday Five

Published: 10/24/2024

Boston Sci, Medtronic trump Abbott in heart failure algorithm HTA

Boston Scientific and Medtronic have got the final thumbs-up from the UK health technology assessment body NICE for their respective HeartLogic and TriageHF tools to be used in algorithm-based remote monitoring in heart failure (HF) patients that have cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs).
The technologies were assessed alongside products from cardiology arch-rivals, HeartInsight from Biotronik and CorVue from Abbott.
While NICE did not completely write off Biotronik’s HeartInsight, saying that the company needed to do more research to provide further clinical evidence of efficacy, the HTA body slapped Abbott’s CorVue with a “Do Not Use” recommendation.
NICE argued that CorVue collects only intrathoracic impedance data, while the other algorithms [HeartLogic, TriageAF, HeartInsight] monitor additional factors. “Clinical trial evidence suggests that CorVue fails to detect some signs of worsening heart failure and has a high rate of false-positive alerts (alerts that are not followed by a heart failure event). So CorVue is not recommended for use in the NHS.”

NICE thumbs-up for ADHD test amidst cost-effectiveness queries

NICE has finalised its positive endorsement of Qbtech's QbTest as a diagnostic aid for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in young patients aged 6-17.
The health technology assessment body said its review of clinical trial data suggests the use of QbTest, combined with standard assessments, leads to quicker diagnostic decisions and rules out more ADHD cases.
However, the digital test has raised several comments about its true cost-effectiveness, during the public consultation of NICE’s draft recommendation of QbTest and other ADHD diagnostic tools published in July.
Furthermore, QbTest’s uniqueness has been debated, with other companies like Braingaze suggesting their tools offer similar or better results, particularly on diagnostic accuracy.

Nvidia, Aidoc BRIDGE gaps in AI adoption

Nvidia and Aidoc are teaming up to create guidelines aimed at streamlining AI adoption in healthcare by addressing scalability and interoperability challenges.
The new guidelines, called BRIDGE, will focus on standardised validation, interoperability, scalable deployment, and continuous monitoring to ensure efficient AI integration across healthcare systems.
Set for release in early 2025, the guidelines will incorporate input from healthcare providers, academics, and industry leaders to ensure real-world applicability.
With over 900 FDA-cleared AI tools available, many are underutilised due to operational inefficiencies, which the BRIDGE framework seeks to address, according to the companies.

Bayer tracks down new partner for consumer precision health

Bayer has partnered with start-up Impli to advance early-stage research on a real-time hormone monitoring device aimed at improving women's health, particularly fertility.
The partnership emerged from Impli winning Bayer’s innovation challenge at the HLTH Europe conference earlier this year and will provide Impli with access to Bayer’s global innovation ecosystem.
Bayer said it sees potential for hormone monitoring to impact broader health categories like stress, sleep, weight management, and cardiovascular and bone health.
The device will most likely sit in Bayer’s consumer precision health business, which it launched in May last year [see also Spotlight On: Why Bayer’s spoilt for choice for consumer precision health partners].

Noom stays on top of GLP-1 wave with new app feature

Noom has launched a new AI-powered body scan feature for monitoring muscle mass in the companion app it offers to members currently taking GLP-1 agonists for weight loss.
The feature allows users to record a 10-second video, generating a 3D body avatar that provides metrics like body fat percentage, lean mass, and waist-to-hip ratio.
With GLP-1 users potentially losing 30%-40% of weight as muscle mass, the AI tool aims to prevent sarcopenic obesity by offering personalised health insights.
This new feature reflects Noom’s expanding use of AI in health monitoring, as the company grows its portfolio of digital health tools, including both name-brand and compounded GLP-1 prescriptions.

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