Dave Muoio

By  Dave Muoio 12:09 pm February 8, 2021
The FDA has granted De Novo authorization to what will be the first device treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) that is used while the patient is awake. Called eXciteOSA, the prescription tongue muscle stimulation device is intended for those aged 18 years or older to reduce mild sleep apnea and snoring. Patients use the device for 20 minutes once per day over a six-week period, and...
Lobby with seated person and the sign "Clover Health welcomes you" on the wall
By  Dave Muoio 03:00 pm February 4, 2021
Short seller calls out Clover Health. Hindenburg Research, a short seller that describes itself as a specialist in forensic financial research, published a report criticizing Clover Health's business and alleging that the Medicare Advantage insurtech company has not disclosed active investigations by the Department of Justice. Hindenburg – which said that it does not have positions for or against...
Screen examples of the features on three smartphones
By  Dave Muoio 11:00 am February 4, 2021
Google Health has announced a new wellness feature coming to its Google Fit mobile app that uses machine learning to give users heart rate and respiratory rate readings without the need for any hardware other than their smartphone's camera. The two tools are slated to launch for all Pixel devices in the next month, and will come to additional Android devices running version 6 within the months to...
Also: Kaiser Permanente doubles down on the cloud with Accenture and Microsoft; Boehringer Ingelheim arms its reps with BreezoMeter's air quality data.
By  Dave Muoio 02:59 pm February 3, 2021
Highmark, a Blue Cross Blue Shield-affiliated health insurer, will expand access to Freespira's digital therapeutic for PTSD, panic disorder, panic attacks and other panic symptoms. In addition to bringing the treatment to members living in Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia, the agreement will also provide remote coaching on how to use Freespira to those not already receiving support from...
By  Dave Muoio 02:02 pm February 3, 2021
Cardiac health-monitoring smart toilet seat maker Casana (formerly Heart Health Intelligence) has raised $14 million in a Series A funding round led by General Catalyst and the Outsiders Fund. Also participating was Bemis Manufacturing Company, a toilet seat manufacturer that led the startup's $2.2 million round last April. In addition to the fundraise, Casana announced that Austin McChord, the...
A product image of the Onduo app
By  Dave Muoio 09:00 am February 2, 2021
Onduo Health, the virtual diabetes coaching program backed by Verily (and to a lesser extent Sanofi), announced this morning that it is expanding its platform beyond Type 2 diabetes to include several other conditions frequent among its populations. Multi-condition services focused on hypertension, pre-diabetes, weight loss and mental wellbeing – as well as underlying coaching support for dieting...
The company hopes that its more descriptive reports will distinguish the personal ECG offering from others limited to atrial fibrillation detection alone.
By  Dave Muoio 01:50 pm February 1, 2021
AliveCor has updated the capabilities of its mobile ECG devices to identify three additional types of heart conditions, the company announced today. Sinus rhythm with supraventricular ectopy (SVE), sinus rhythm with premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) and sinus rhythm with wide QRS are now all on the table of AliveCor's KardiaMobile line of ECG devices, which already detected atrial...
COVID-19 Severity Calculator logo
By  Dave Muoio 03:12 pm January 28, 2021
23andMe's new COVID-19 resource. Consumer genomics company 23andMe has released a new interactive tool that allows users to see how various health factors could impact the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization. The COVID-19 Severity Calculator pulls data from the company's COVID-19 study, which included 10,000 participants diagnosed with the disease and 750 who were hospitalized. 23andMe warned that...
By  Dave Muoio 01:32 pm January 28, 2021
This week Reuters reported that two more major digital health companies are discussing potential merger agreements with special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) that would lead to multibillion dollar valuations. The first, reported late Tuesday, is app-based patient-engagement and benefits-navigation platform Sharecare. Per Reuters' anonymous sources, the proposed deal would see Sharecare...
A product shot of Upright's digital MSK offering.
By  Dave Muoio 02:01 pm January 27, 2021
DarioHealth announced today that it is expanding its digital chronic-disease-management business beyond diabetes and hypertension with the purchase of Upright Technologies, a musculoskeletal (MSK) health company that specializes in connected posture correction devices and digital coaching. The deal is expected to close on or around February 7, and will run DarioHealth $31 million to complete the...