- Aims to guide patients with rare and gastrointestinal diseases to appropriate medical care

〜Ubie will build on its achievements in the early detection of HAE and expand its collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceuticals to benefit patients in broader disease areas〜

NEW YORK, April 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ubie Inc. has signed a comprehensive collaboration agreement with Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. to promote digital transformation, which aims to guide people to appropriate medical care for rare diseases and gastrointestinal diseases.

Since April 2021, Ubie and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. have been promoting digital transformation for the early detection of diseases and guidance for appropriate medical examinations using Ubie Symptom Checker, a service for general public with disease concerns, and Ubie Patient Intake Form, a service for medical institutions. (*1). A prime example of this collaboration is the rare disease called hereditary angioedema (HAE).

HAE is a rare genetic disorder that causes recurrent episodes of edema in various parts of the body, including the abdomen, face, feet, genitals, hands, and throat. (*2,3,4) If it lodges in the throat, it can block the airway, causing difficulty breathing and the elevating risk of suffocation. (*4,5) It is estimated that there are 2,000 to 3,000 HAE patients in Japan, but due to the low level of awareness of the disease, only about 450 patients have been diagnosed; it is believed that there are many undiagnosed patients (*6). In addition, it is said that it takes an average of 13.8 years from the first attack to definitive diagnosis in Japan (*7), which is a large gap compared to the reported average of 8.3 years in the United States (*8) and 8.5 years in Europe (*9).

According to our survey, at least 14 people (from April 2021 to December 2022) were diagnosed with HAE after being referred to a healthcare provider through the alliance. In one case, a patient who had been suffering from swollen hands for six months visited a medical facility after learning about the disease through the service and was promptly diagnosed with HAE.

Building on these achievements, the comprehensive alliance aims to enable even more patients to benefit from the services. Specifically, the scope of the collaboration will be expanded around rare diseases, where early detection is an issue, and new initiatives will be launched in gastrointestinal diseases, where it is believed that many potential patients have symptoms but do not seek medical treatment attention. In addition, to provide more value to patients and physicians from various perspectives, Ubie is developing additional functions on top of the current services and will seek to collaborate with Takeda on IT systems and data.

Ubie, in collaboration with Takeda, will contribute to the health of as many patients as possible by supporting patient journeys through the active use of technology.

*1. Previous press release from Ubie  (in Japanese)

*2. Cicardi M, Bork K, Caballero T, et al; on behalf of HAWK (Hereditary Angioedema International Working Group). Evidence based recommendations for the therapeutic management of angioedema owing to hereditary C1 inhibitor deficiency: consensus report of an International Working Group. Allergy. 2012; 67(2):147-157.

*3. Zuraw BL. Hereditary angioedema. N Engl J Med. 2008;359(10):1027-1036.

*4.  Banerji A. The burden of illness in patients with hereditary angioedema. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2013;111(5):329-336.

*5. Longhurst HJ, Bork K. Hereditary angioedema: causes, manifestations, and treatment. Br J Hosp Med.

2006;67(12):654-657.

*6. Hide M, Horiuchi T, et al. Management of hereditary angioedema in Japan: Focus on icatibant for the treatment of acute attacks. Allergology International 70 (2021) 45-54.

*7. Ohsawa I et al: Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2015; 114: 492-498

*8. Berunstain et.al., Am J Manag Care . 2018 Aug;24(14 Suppl):S292-S298. *9. Zanichelli et al., Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology 2013, 9 :29

Contact: 
Shoko Suzuki
Ubie, Inc.
Tel: +65-9610-7428
Email: pr@ubiehealth.com 

Source: Ubie, Inc.