Boston, MA – September 17, 2024 – Biofourmis, a leading global provider of digital medicine and remote care solutions, is excited to announce the availability of a new digital measure for assessing nocturnal scratching and sleep quality in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD).This innovative solution can support the objective measurement of one of the most debilitating symptoms of AD, generating new insights on the path to improving management of the disease.
The itch-scratch cycle is one of the most predominant and burdensome symptoms of atopic dermatitis, causing damage to the skin barrier that can lead to infections which further exacerbate the condition. AD affects up to 2.6% of the population1, with many experiencing worsening of scratching at night, reflecting a need for more effective assessment tools and treatments.
In collaboration with our pharmaceutical partner, Biofourmis will offer a clinically validated digital measurement tool that utilizes machine-learning algorithms and accelerometry from wearable sensors to provide continuous measure of nighttime scratching and sleep quantity for use in AD drug development programs. A study evaluating these digital measures showed high correlation with corresponding reference measures of sleep quantity (obtained from PSG) and scratch (obtained from in-clinic video recordings)2. Subsequent studies have evaluated applicability of the technology in over 200 individuals (age 2 to 75) with atopic dermatitis3,4,5. The digital measure is designed to be device-agnostic, making it a versatile tool for assessing efficacy in AD drug development programs.
The nocturnal scratch digital measure will be available on the Biofourmis® platform, creating an integrated research and development tool for atopic dermatitis programs. When combined with the Biofourmis digital clinical trial toolkit – which includes a participant app, eConsent, ePRO, and wearable sensors – the solution aims to offer a comprehensive and user-friendly experience for trial participants.
Incorporating nocturnal scratch measurement into drug development programs offers numerous potential benefits:
- Evidence of Effectiveness: Identifying which treatments effectively reduce scratching can lead to better patient outcomes and a deeper understanding of disease pathways.
- Clinically Meaningful Measure: Nocturnal scratching is measured objectively through passive continuous monitoring, reducing bias and eliminating reliance solely on subjective clinician or patient observations.
- Comprehensive Insights: Combining patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and digital health technologies (DHTs) provides a more complete picture of patient function and meaningful health aspects.
Looking ahead, Biofourmis plans to explore expanding the application of this technology beyond atopic dermatitis to other dermatological conditions like psoriasis, further broadening its impact and utility.
To learn more about the new digital measure for nocturnal scratching and sleep quality, and how it can enhance your clinical trial programs, visit us at DPHARM (Sept 17-18) in Philadelphia, or go to Biofourmis.com
About Biofourmis:
Biofourmis enhances the drug development lifecycle through digital solutions that enrich evidence generation and expand clinical trial access. The Biofourmis platform enables pharmaceutical and life sciences companies to efficiently collect biometric data and participant-reported outcomes and transform them into actionable clinical insights to help drive innovation. Biofourmis Connect leverages novel digital biomarkers, data science, and purpose-built tools to support researchers in advancing the most effective, personalized therapies from discovery through commercialization.