Health and dental plan provider Simplyhealth has invested a “significant” sum in Ampersand, a provider of digital therapies for inflammatory conditions.
The firm said the investment will help accelerate the adoption of digital therapeutics in the UK, reducing outpatient appointments, improving health outcomes and cutting unplanned hospital visits for patients suffering with a broad range of inflammatory conditions.
An Ampersand spokesperson told Health & Protection the value of the Simplyhealth investment was not being disclosed.
Ampersand helps clinicians and patients to manage and monitor chronic, inflammatory diseases such as Crohn’s, arthritis and psoriasis.
The organisation works with scientists, clinicians and NHS Trusts, to deploy behavioural science-based interventions that improve quality of life and mental health and to implement hospital at home pathways.
The firm’s technology has been developed in partnership with Barts Health and King’s College Hospital NHS Trusts, with support from Innovate UK, NHSX and a number of national charities.
Dr Sneh Khemka, CEO of Simplyhealth, said: “At Simplyhealth we strive to accelerate the development and adoption of preventative and predictive medicine in the UK and platforms such as Ampersand are at the forefront of this new healthcare paradigm.
“Through innovative technology such as Ampersand, we are enabling those living with long-term health conditions, to take control of their health. Along with OcuPlan, we couldn’t be more excited to have these start-ups within Simplyhealth’s ecosystem.”
Nader Alaghband, co-founder and CEO of Ampersand, noted that 600 million people worldwide live with an inflammatory disease.
“These diseases place a significant, lifelong burden on patients and on the systems of care around them,” he said.
“We’re looking forward to addressing these challenges in partnership with – and with investment from – Simplyhealth.”
