Novartis Launches FocalView App, Providing Opportunity for Patients to Participate in Ophthalmology Clinical Trials from Home
Novartis announced the launch of its FocalView app, an ophthalmic digital research platform created with ResearchKit. FocalView aims to allow researchers to track disease progression by collecting real-time, self-reported data directly from consenting patients. By adapting the design of clinical trials to suit the daily routine of patients, the app may reduce barriers to participation, leading to a more nuanced understanding of ophthalmic diseases and potentially accelerating the development of novel treatments. 
This World Allergy Week (April 22 - 28) and World Asthma Day (May 1), Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, is helping parents take charge of their children's asthma and allergy symptoms through awareness initiatives in more than 20 countries worldwide. 
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today permitted marketing of the first medical device to use artificial intelligence to detect greater than a mild level of the eye disease diabetic retinopathy in adults who have diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy occurs when high levels of blood sugar lead to damage in the blood vessels of the retina, the light-sensitive tissue in the back of the eye. 
The European Innovation Council (EIC) SME Instrument and Roche invite you to pitch your ideas and breakthroughs on healthcare tech at the Roche Innovation Summit on the 19th and 20th of June in Basel, Switzerland. On a yearly basis, Roche organises an internal Innovation summit, to inspire, connect, develop and advance their organisation. 
Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced a new collaboration with US-based Medisafe to help its cardiometabolic patients better manage medication intake and adhere to prescribed treatment regimens. In the countries of scope Merck patients will have access to a customized version of Medisafe's mobile platform that could combine reminders, motivation and support systems, targeted content, coupons and interventions in their local language.