German science and technology company Merck has entered into an agreement with HAPPYneuron, a subsidiary of SBT Group of France, in which Merck will receive an exclusive license to the company’s cognitive remediation training program for people living with multiple sclerosis (MS). This agreement complements Merck’s broad portfolio of patient support programs in MS and underscores the company’s commitment to leveraging digital platforms and technologies to benefit patients in need. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
HAPPYneuron’s cognitive remediation program will be available for inclusion in Merck’s MSdialog platform, when deemed beneficial for a patient by his/her healthcare provider. HAPPYneuron is designed to improve cognitive skills through brain training by repeated cognitive game training exercises. The in-licensing and integration of HAPPYneuron into the MSdialog platform will allow Merck to expand its first-of-its-kind e-health solution for people living with MS.
“We have a long-standing commitment to delivering therapeutic and support solutions to people living with MS. The platform will enhance the attractiveness of MSdialog to patients and HCPs by seeking to address these cognitive deficit symptoms and further fostering the monitoring of the cognitive state of patients,” said Rehan Verjee, chief marketing and strategy officer of Merck’s biopharma business.
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The HAPPYneuron software-based cognitive training is backed by more than 10 years of clinical data and is designed to address cognitive function across various domains.
HAPPYneuron’s suite of cognitive training games are designed to address the cognition challenges that people living with MS face, and the games automatically adjust skill to match the need of the individual - making the platform interesting for the patient and simple for healthcare professionals to use with their patients.
MSdialog is a multi-tenant cloud-based software system for the management of MS that captures and presents patient outcome data to enable better decision-making by patients and providers. The software system provides patients with reminders to take their Rebif (interferon beta-1a) medication, synchronises with the new RebiSmart auto-injector, monitors patient’s adherence information to their treatment, and monitors clinical data. MSdialog also allows people with MS to engage in the management of their disease by asking them to complete periodic health report questionnaires based on short forms of published instruments and standard scales, such as the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Inventory (MSQLI) and the Multiple Sclerosis International Quality of Life (MusiQoL) questionnaires.
