Empatica, a pioneer in digital biomarker development and patient monitoring using wearables and AI, has successfully acquired PKG Health, a leading innovator in movement disorder algorithms and digital endpoints for Parkinson's disease. The strategic acquisition enhances Empatica's FDA-cleared wearable technology and health monitoring platform with PKG Health's validated algorithms for movement disorder monitoring, significantly expanding the company's reach within neurology research, clinical care, and diagnostics.
Validated Clinical Evidence and Global Deployment
PKG Health brings substantial clinical validation to the partnership, with algorithms validated in over 70 peer-reviewed studies. These algorithms monitor critical movement-related parameters including bradykinesia, dyskinesia, tremors, fluctuations, sleep, gait, and other physiological signals associated with Parkinson's disease. The technology is currently deployed across over 150 hospitals and clinical sites spanning Europe, Australia, and the United States.
"PKG Health has built the largest body of clinical evidence in neurologic movement disorders using wearables," said Matteo Lai, Empatica's CEO and Co-founder. "By combining these algorithms with our patient monitoring platform, especially our new EmbraceMini device, we will provide the most comprehensive solution for monitoring Parkinson's disease."
Addressing Clinical Trial Challenges
The acquisition directly addresses a critical gap in Parkinson's disease research. Despite a robust drug development pipeline for the condition, only a limited number of disease-modifying treatments successfully advance to Phase 3 trials. The integration of PKG Health's validated digital endpoints with Empatica's digital biomarker expertise aims to provide pharmaceutical sponsors with more comprehensive and objective measures of disease progression and treatment response.
PKG Health's measures will be exclusively available to clinicians through Empatica's platform, creating a purpose-built solution for remotely collecting and analyzing high-quality movement data. This integration is designed to streamline research processes while providing deeper patient insights for both clinical care and drug development.
Enhanced Technology Platform
Empatica's existing portfolio includes FDA-cleared epilepsy monitoring systems EpiMonitor and Embrace2, along with the EmbracePlus medical wearable developed in partnership with HHS, USAMRDC, and the NASA-funded TRISH. The company's latest device, EmbraceMini, represents the world's smallest actigraphy device for clinical care and research applications.
The acquisition positions the combined entity to leverage Empatica's experience in building patient-centric solutions for detecting and monitoring Parkinson's disease with enhanced speed and precision. This technological advancement could facilitate earlier diagnosis, enable more personalized treatment plans, and ultimately improve outcomes for the estimated 10 million people living with Parkinson's disease worldwide.
Market Impact and Future Applications
For pharmaceutical partners, the acquisition creates significant potential to accelerate research in movement disorder trials. Empatica's expertise in digital biomarker development and understanding of modern, hybrid trial methodologies enables the enhancement of PKG Health's solution with new digital endpoints and features.
The combined platform provides sponsors with a more holistic and versatile view of disease progression and treatment response, addressing the urgent demand for objective Parkinson's measures in clinical trials. This comprehensive approach to movement disorder monitoring represents a significant advancement in the field of digital therapeutics and precision medicine for neurological conditions.
