Free app designed to help PNH patients with disease management
Dawn Health, Novartis aim to help patients with chronic conditions
Dawn Health, a Danish digital health company, and Novartis have launched a smartphone app designed to help people living with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) with disease management.
The free Ekiva PNH app helps patients track their symptoms and prepare for medical appointments, while also providing a content library where they can learn more about PNH and have “more informed and data-based conversations” with healthcare professionals, Dawn Health said.
“Following our strategic collaboration announcement last year, we are extremely proud to bring Ekiva to the PNH community, once again delivering a solution with unprecedented speed, empowering patients to monitor their disease,” Daniel Daugaard, Dawn Health’s founder and co-CEO, said in a company press release.
PNH is characterized by the destruction of blood cells, particularly oxygen-carrying red blood cells. This may cause patients to experience fatigue and shortness of breath, among other symptoms. The disease presents unique challenges for patients and impacts their quality of life, with both physical and mental health consequences.
Track symptoms, quality-of-life measures to assess disease impact
Developed with the support of patients and caregivers, Ekiva PNH aims to address the specific needs of people with PNH, by providing a comprehensive digital platform where patients can quickly and easily input and track their symptoms, Dawn Health said. Patients may also use the app to log quality-of-life measures and use it as a tool to assess the impact PNH has on their well-being over time.
The app includes disease management functionalities, such as medication reminders and care planning. It also provides tools to help patients create personal disease reports and save important information and questions to discuss at medical appointments.
“This solution embodies our digital-first strategy and patient-centric approach, offering a new level of care customization and support for PNH patients,” Daugaard said.
In 2023, Dawn launched Ekiva-MS to help patients with multiple sclerosis, a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the destruction of the protective layer coating nerve fibers, manage their disease. Within the first six months, the app was downloaded more than 25,000 times, showing the need for solutions for personalized disease care.
The initiative is part of the Dawn Health’s goal of using technology and innovation to drive behavior change, and demonstrates Novatris’ “ongoing dedication to fulfilling the needs of patients with chronic conditions, particularly in areas where patient needs are largely unmet,” Dawn said.
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