Photo: Niv Cantor
MyOr has developed an artificial intelligence-based diagnostic tool for allergy detection, leading to them winning first place in the DHEALTH-2019 Digital Health Conference
Israeli start-up company MyOr won first place in the DHEALTH 2019 digital health start-up competition. The prestigious competition took place at the 10th annual Digital Health Conference produced by "People and Computers," attended by hundreds of experts in health innovation, technology incubators, venture capital funds Innovation and senior hospital funds and medical centers.
The award for the winners included access to an innovative startup incubator and business support worth hundreds of thousands of shekels, sponsored by IBM Alpha-Zone Accelerator and the DHEALTH Ventures Incubator which promotes digital healthcare ventures.
An innovative solution based on 3 million cases
MyOr has developed an innovative product that enables the prediction and prevention of skin asthma – atopic dermatitis, in toddlers. The prevalence of this chronic illness, affecting about 20% of toddlers, has risen steadily just like an epidemic, with the number of patients worldwide tripling over the last 25 years.
The direct result of skin asthma is reddish and dry skin, restlessness and itching attacks, and indirect results include trouble sleeping, infections and a general decline in the function of the toddler's immune system. Also, there is a direct link between the disease and a series of allergic conditions, some of which are life-threatening, including food allergies, chronic Rhinitis, and asthma, and its prevention also contributes to the prevention of related issues.
Today, there is no quantitative prediction or preventative care available, and the existing solutions are aimed at managing the disease and treating its symptoms only, primarily through steroids. The solution developed by the company, says CEO Idan Katz, was built on a huge database of over 3 million cases and uses the skin as a diagnostic platform for future medical conditions.
A $6.25 billion market annually
The solution benefits from offering a comprehensive diagnostic and treatment package and being the only solution not aimed at the disease stage itself but at predicting and preventive treatment that prevents suffering and saves on expected treatment costs. The global disease drug market is worth $6.25 billion a year, but the existing market is aimed at diagnosed patients, while the solution developed by MyOr targets the healthy population, predicting risk and preventing it.
The window of prevention is up to six months, and the target market is the risk population at these ages. "The skin reflects our health and can be used as a window into the body, using biomarkers: biological markers associated with various health conditions," explains Katz. "Today, with the help of technological developments, there are artificial intelligence tools that allow data to be extracted from the skin and draw conclusions, and this is our product-based rationale for predicting and preventing allergic conditions.
Prevention of skin asthma and peanut allergies
"Skin asthma often progresses to various food allergies, such as peanut allergies, eggs, as well as chronic Rhinitis, asthma and so on. The product that we have developed intends to combat asthma of the skin and peanut allergies, and the goal is to expand the range to a variety of medical conditions later.
Using a medical cream and functional food, these conditions can be prevented, but only if we know about them in advance. The solution is based on very broad data and we are currently in the phase of clinical research to improve prediction," he continued.
To date, the company has raised $2 million and has signed significant collaboration agreements with the popular 7/11 stores in Thailand, which includes 300 pharmacies and a health division. MyOr also signed with Family Card – a Mexican telemedicine company, and the Chinese MOU company, a leader in toddler products for the giant Chinese market. At the same time, the company is in advanced contact with a leading HMO in the country.
