PatientsLikeMe and LetsGetChecked accomplice to extend residence testing choices | NEWSRUX

Because of a newly fashioned partnership, PatientsLikeMe neighborhood well being community members may have entry to at-home diagnostics firm LetsGetChecked’s choices and obtain reductions on screening assessments. 

Mass.-based PatientsLikeMe is a customized well being community that features a affected person help neighborhood, well being administration and a real-world information platform. It emerged in 2004 as one of many early gamers within the digital well being house. 

Based in 2015, LetsGetChecked presents at-home assessments, together with ones for sexual well being, diabetes, thyroid, ldl cholesterol and COVID-19.

“Healthcare shoppers as we speak predict elevated engagement and entry in relation to their care providers, and testing isn’t any exception. With the partnership between PatientsLikeMe and LetsGetChecked, our members can now anticipate enhanced capabilities with handy entry to at-home testing options, guaranteeing people can obtain the care and help they want, after they want it,” Chris-Renfo Wallace, chief working officer of PatientsLikeMe, instructed MobiHealthNews in an electronic mail. 

THE LARGER TREND

In 2017, PatientsLikeMe secured $100 million in funding, primarily from a partnership with well being information and genomics firm iCarbonX, a enterprise based by scientist Jun Wang and closely backed by Chinese language mega-conglomerate Tencent.

In 2019, iCarbonX, the Chinese language agency holding the bulk stake within the firm, was ordered by the Treasury Division’s Committee on Overseas Funding in america to divest its shares attributable to considerations about international funding and affect, forcing PatientsLikeMe to hunt a brand new purchaser for its stake within the on-line community.

In 2019, PatientsLikeMe introduced it signed a cope with UnitedHealth Group to turn into a part of the managed healthcare and insurance coverage firm’s analysis department, which sparked considerations about privateness and information sharing among the many public, significantly seen on social media. 

Final yr, the corporate introduced it acquired $26 million in funding

Thus far, the corporate has raised $153 million, in accordance with Crunchbase, and in October launched a uncommon illness examine targeted on Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD) with healthcare know-how firm SEQSTER. 

LetsGetChecked has additionally garnered a considerable quantity of funding. In September, JP Morgan Chase’s healthcare enterprise unit, Morgan Well being, introduced a $20 million strategic funding in LetsGetChecked. 

A yr earlier than, the distant diagnostics firm closed a $150 million Collection D funding spherical, constructing on raises in 2018, 2019 and 2020.