Smartphone Measured Eye-Based Digital Biomarkers for Drug Use Detection

Project Information

PrevictDrugs

Grant agreement ID: 876553

DOI

10.3030/876553

Project closed

EC signature date 2 August 2019

Start date 1 September 2019

End date 29 February 2020

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

KONTIGO CARE AB
Sweden

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PrevictDrugs (Smartphone Measured Eye-Based Digital Biomarkers for Drug Use Detection)

Reporting period: 2019-09-01 to 2020-02-29

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Globally, 250 million have used drugs, 27 million suffer from problem drug use and 187,100 deaths occurred as a direct consequence of drug use. Thus, drug abuse needs to be controlled and monitored. Addiction treatments in the EU focus on out-patient relapse prevention strategies due to the limited healthcare resources at hand. However, for these approaches to become effective, daily, low-cost monitoring of sobriety and risk assessment of relapse are required. Current reaction times are too slow as caregivers lack tools to identify relapses in real-time. Consequently, there is an urgent need to change conservative approaches and improve treatment outcomes for the growing number of patients. The reach and speed of web and app applications are tremendous and timing and readiness for Europa’s Health care are optimal. This is the gap Kontigo Care aims to address through the SME Instrument project.

The overall objective of this project was to develop and optimize a business plan that will guide the development and commercialization of Kontigo Care’s Previct Drugs - a robust, app-based, eHealth-platform for continuous self-monitoring of drug use.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Kontigo Care performed the feasibility study which will guide the development, clinical validation and commercialisation of Previct Drugs. The study has provided a valuable understanding of the market, targeted users, competitive landscape, and regulatory pathways. The clinical evaluation plan has also been developed as a part of the project.

The feasibility study has confirmed a significant business opportunity within the global drug use monitoring market.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

This feasibility study has further confirmed the innovative character of Kontigo Care’s approach. Our Previct Drugs medical device will constitute an add-on to Kontigo Care’s current eHealth offer developed for the management of other addictive disorders (alcohol abuse and hazard gambling). On the patient’s side, the data will be collected with a smartphone app capable of measuring eye parameters – pupillometry-based method for monitoring the use of illicit drugs.

We strive to develop our prototype further and validate the potential for a medical device that will enable early therapeutic interventions, daily home-based therapeutic interventions and appropriate distribution of healthcare resources. Drug abuse is a serious global health problem and Kontigo Care is convinced its innovative approach will have a significant impact on the health-economic burden of drug abuse in Europe and worldwide.

Kontigo Care - mission statement