Popit and Almirall start offering new support tool to help psoriasis patients

HELSINKI and BARCELONA, Spain, Nov. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Finnish digital health startup Popit and Almirall, S.A. (ALM), a global biopharmaceutical company focused on skin health have started a collaboration to provide a novel support solution for patients with psoriasis. Popit's innovative solution is available for patients using the Skilarence® (Dimethyl fumarate) medication, used for treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. The solution improves medication adherence and offers educational support for the patient. The partnership has started with the first patients already using Popit in The Netherlands.

Psoriasis is a chronic, non-contagious skin disease with symptoms that include clearly defined red patches ("plaques"), scaly skin and often itching. It is estimated that 125 million people worldwide – or 2 to 3 % of the population – have psoriasis¹. The condition has a profound impact on patients: nearly 60 % of people with psoriasis reported their disease to be a large problem in their everyday life².

Skilarence^® (Dimethyl fumarate) is a systemic treatment taken orally for psoriasis³. As with all medications, if patients are not taking it according to guidance they also do not obtain the best possible treatment outcomes. Popit helps patients stay on track with the treatment and gain access to tailor-made content on their therapy.

The innovative solution consists of a unique device that automatically tracks when a medication is taken, as well as an accompanying app that reminds only if a dose has been missed. The patient also receives useful support messages and psoriasis content tailored specifically for them. Popit has been clinically validated to significantly reduce missed doses⁴ and is already used by some of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world with great results.

In the words of Francesca Wuttke, Chief Digital Officer of Almirall, "We are pleased to be collaborating with Popit to bring novel adherence and engagement solutions to patients with psoriasis. As a result of this partnership we are able to provide a new patient experience through digital psoriasis treatment to inform, educate, manage expectations, and motivate our patients. Making our medicines connected is a huge leap for patients and the industry and we're excited to be doing it with Popit".

Teemu Piirainen, Popit's CEO weighs in: "There is a great need to improve medication adherence and patient support in psoriasis care. Popit can really help in this by tackling some of the most common causes for why doses are missed, which include forgetting the daily doses and insufficient awareness of how missed doses impact treatment outcomes. Additionally, the patient might face quite practical challenges with their treatment, like up-titration or predetermined changes in product strength, which may not always be easy to master. Popit supports the patient with these challenges."

References:

1. Psoriasis.org (https://www.psoriasis.org/psoriasis-statistics/)
2. Stern RS, Nijsten T, Feldman SR, Margolis DJ, Rolstad T. Psoriasis is common, carries a substantial burden even when not extensive, and is associated with widespread treatment dissatisfaction. J Investig Dermatol Symp Proc. 2004;9(2):136-139.
3. European Medicines Agency (https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/overview/skilarence-epar-summary-public_en.pdf)
4. DOI: 10.15761/COGRM.1000217

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