SAN FRANCISCO – [May 31, 2022] – Blue Note Therapeutics, a prescription digital therapeutics (PDT) company dedicated to easing the burden of cancer and improving outcomes, and OncoHealth, a leading digital health company dedicated to oncology, have partnered to support patients coping with cancer by delivering oncology-specific mental health care.
Through OncoHealth’s telehealth platform, Iris™, licensed healthcare professionals can provide Blue Note’s attune™ to patients living with cancer. Attune is the first digital therapeutic program designed to treat anxiety and depression symptoms related to cancer and received Breakthrough Device designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in June 2020.
Blue Note developed attune as an “on-demand” self-directed tool for patients with cancer. Attune takes cancer-specific face-to-face therapies, backed by decades of evidence-based research, and re-creates that experience in a digital format on the patient’s mobile device.
“Stress associated with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer is both normal and expected yet finding constructive ways to cope with this stress can be especially difficult for patients,” said Geoffrey Eich, CEO, Blue Note Therapeutics. “Offering attune within the Iris platform will help provide and expand access to cancer-specific mental health care, bridging a gap that affects up to 85 percent of all Americans who are experiencing cancer.”
Iris is the healthcare industry’s first virtual care platform that offers supportive care for both patients with cancer and caregivers. There are approximately 18 million cancer patients and survivors in the United States today, nearly half of whom experience psychosocial distress, anxiety, or depression.[1] [2] If left untreated, these feelings can lower a cancer survivor’s quality of life and may negatively affect survival.[3] Unfortunately, fewer than half of patients who experience cancer-related distress are referred to mental health care specialists.[4] [5]
“There is a profound need for patients to access evidence-based coping tools in convenient ways to address their cancer-related stress,” said Karen Fasciano, PsyD, Director of Mental Health, OncoHealth. “Attune, when provided as needed through the Iris platform, gives patients access to on demand care, through their smartphone or tablet, without needing to wait for face-to-face or in-person therapy.”
Iris by OncoHealth combines human-centered design, mobile technology, data, empathy, and specially trained US-based oncology experts to deliver personalized, oncology-specific telehealth support to patients and their families facing cancer, 24×7. Iris is designed for patients with cancer and their caregivers and enables them to connect with a team of licensed oncology experts easily and securely via chat, phone, or video. This includes connecting with oncology nurses, social workers, psychologists, physician assistants, peer mentors, and MDs, where and when they want, using their existing Apple® iPhone® and Google® Android™ smartphones as well as the web.
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About Blue Note Therapeutics
Blue Note Therapeutics is a prescription digital therapeutics company singularly dedicated to serving patients suffering from cancer. We aim to make treatment accessible to any cancer patient, at any time, by merging deep scientific and clinical expertise, neuroscience, and digital innovation. Working closely with cancer research and patient communities, we are developing a pipeline of clinically validated prescription digital therapeutics to help reduce anxiety, depression, and other forms of cancer-related distress. For more information, visit www.bluenotetherapeutics.com.
About OncoHealth
OncoHealth is a leading digital health company dedicated to helping health plans, employers, providers, patients, and life science researchers navigate the physical, mental, and financial complexities of cancer through technology-enabled services and real-world data analytics. Supporting more than 7 million people in the US and Puerto Rico, OncoHealth offers digital solutions for treatment review, real-world evidence, and telehealth across all cancer types. For more information, visit www.oncohealth.us.
About OncoHealth Medical Group
The OncoHealth Medical Group, P.A. is an independent medical practice that provides virtual cancer supportive care exclusively on OncoHealth’s Iris™ telehealth platform. The OncoHealth Medical Group consists of board certified oncologists, advanced practice providers, pharmacists, nurses, registered dietitians, psychologists, and licensed clinical social workers, all specializing in cancer. Clinicians are licensed to care for patients across the country.
About Prescription Digital Therapeutics
Prescription digital therapeutics (PDTs) are a therapeutic class of medical devices that use U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvable software to treat diseases and conditions, such as anxiety and depression related to cancer diagnosis and treatment. Similar to prescription medicines, PDTs must demonstrate safety and efficacy in randomized clinical trials prior to their approval by the FDA.
Media Contact – Blue Note Therapeutics
Kim King
kimk@bluenotetx.com
+1(805)410-0180
Media Contact – OncoHealth
Jennifer Haas
JHaas@oncohealth.us
+1(954)330-0142 x557
References
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[1] https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2022/2022-cancer-facts-and-figures.pdf.
[2] Mehnert A, Hartung TJ, Friedrich M, et al. One in two cancer patients is significantly distressed: Prevalence and indicators of distress. Psychooncology. 2018;27:75-82.
[3] Wang, Y.H., Li, J. Q., Shi, J. F., Que, J. Y., Liu, J. J., Lappin, J. M., … & Bao, Y. P. (2020). Depression and anxiety in relation to cancer incidence and mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies Molecular psychiatry, 25(7) 1487-1499. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31745237/.
[4] OncoLink. What is Cancer Related Distress? https://www.oncolink.org/support/practical-and-emotional/coping-communication-concerns/what-is-cancer-related-distress?msclkid=89974db3b06411eca99998fe3d8c1cfe.
[5] American Cancer Society. Cancer Treatment & Survivorship Facts & Figures 2019-2021. https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/cancer-treatment-and-survivorship-facts-and-figures/cancer-treatment-and-survivorship-facts-and-figures-2019-2021.pdf.