Value-based care provider NuvoAir is partnering with the ALS Association to provide virtual pulmonary care to individuals with ALS, starting with two clinics in Texas.
ALS is a nervous system disorder that affects motor neurons, which are nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain that control breathing and voluntary muscle movement. Individuals with ALS often experience respiratory complications from the disease.
Boston-based NuvoAir is a virtual-first specialty care provider that helps patients manage complex heart and lung conditions. The platform offers patients same-day virtual appointments with respiratory therapists, nurses, care coordinators, cardiologists, health coaches and pulmonologists.
“We view this partnership as a beacon of hope for those living with ALS,” Lorenzo Consoli, founder and CEO of NuvoAir, said in a statement. “Our multidisciplinary team, empowered by cutting-edge technology, can detect early infections and declines in lung health. This enables our specialists to intervene promptly, extending and enhancing the quality of life for patients.”
The companies are launching their partnership with two clinics in Texas, the University of Texas Health Science Center and Texas Neurology, and will be supported by in-person respiratory therapy company Respiratory Quality Services.
“People living with ALS deserve access to high-quality respiratory care regardless of their zip code,” Calaneet Balas, president and CEO of the ALS Association, said. “[The partnership] will expedite people getting non-invasive ventilation and hopefully reduce hospital visits and complications from respiratory decline.”
THE LARGER TREND
In 2021, NuvoAir, which has an office in Sweden, raised $12 million (€10 million) in Series A funding. Last year, it scored an $11 million extension to its Series A round, bringing its total raise to $25 million.
In July, the virtual care company announced a partnership with AI-powered third-party administrator Marpai, which offers health plan administration for self-funded employers. Through the collaboration, NuvoAir would be added to the Marpai Connect platform, which matches its members to value-based care providers.
Respiratory function decline associated with breathing abnormalities during sleep is a crucial manifestation of the natural course of ALS.
Another digital health company seeking to support patients with ALS is tech-enabled biotechnology company Verge Genomics, which announced a partnership in May with Emerald Innovations, which creates wireless digital health technology to capture patient data.
Through the collaboration, the partners will study Verge’s novel therapeutic for ALS, which is currently in clinical development. They will utilize Emerald’s sensors, placed in participants’ homes, to capture patient data, measuring essential neurological functions such as mobility, sleeping, breathing and walking. The data will help determine the effects and dosage of Verge’s therapeutic.
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