Perfood

Doing Whatever It Takes Earlier this year, the publication "Diabetes Ratgeber" had an inspiring editorial on how research is shifting how we understand and manage type 2 diabetes. We were heartened by the focus of the editorial because the scale of the challenge related to diabetes is immense and it is projected to become even more so. However, the benefits of innovative and effective therapies from research go beyond the individual. As a society, as a culture, as a country - we all gain when lives are saved, our children and loved ones are healthy and we reduce the immense financial costs from the repercussions of diabetes. ⛑ At Perfood, we have made significant progress on an innovative DiGA for type 2 diabetes. But like with so many endeavors, we often need help from the wider community that support us in what we do. And today, we are turning to ask for your help. 🆘 We want to involve more people in our study for our DiGA for type 2 diabetes, glucura. 🤵 Members of our team have been working diligently on this and we decided to share this with you and ask directly for your help. 📢 It is as simple as this, if you know someone who may benefit from being part of this study, share this link with them: 🚁 https://lnkd.in/ddgBttqf A study itself can contribute to someone learning more about their diabetes - while also making a big contribution with wider benefits. Thank you. Our mission to reverse the personal and societal costs of diabetes in Germany and beyond continues. #perfood #reverse-diabetes #DiGA

Standing Together, Winning Together Very often, the culture of a company is seen as something separate from the individuals who are part of the big endeavor. The culture is regarded more as a set of desired conditions to be adopted - that you partake of, or are asked to simply embrace. At Perfood, this is not us. Our culture is what we are. And the reason for this is that our founders believe in people as the staring point - inside and out. When you sit down and speak to our CMO Torsten Schröder, MD, PhD and ask him about the early start of his career, he will tell you about the personal challenges he faced. These experiences shaped how he wanted everyone to feel at Perfood, and also how people are tangibly supported with the tools and resources needed to build skills, collaborate and contribute. Even today, when there are big gatherings in Lübeck and space is limited, Torsten makes his desk available so that others have a place to work and chat with other team members. However, you still have to avoid leaving coffee stains on his desk. 😁 When it comes to our CEO Dominik Burziwoda, he strives to be as accessible as possible. If there is something that needs discussion, a quick message and he is more often than not on the phone with you to talk and provide his input and encouragement. And he consistently brings the meaning of work down to people. Earlier this year, he wrote a note that struck a note with many people. His main point? When you think about the work you are doing - focus on who you are doing the work for. This engenders meaning and care. And then there is our CTO Dr. med. Christoph Twesten. Christoph’s favorite word is empathy. Regardless of the situation, the first thing is to get the problem fixed. As long as we stick together we will get the job done. If we had to put the essence of Perfood’s culture into the title of a book, it would be: “Keep Ambitions High”. This means personally and for the company. The reason for this is our founders' belief that personal spirit and motivation are the keys to achieving outcomes that are meaningful for all of our stakeholders and supporters. While we are not at the point where we can give everyone in the company a subscription to "Harvard Business Review," we try to embody some of the best principles and values of a high performing culture. And that often comes down to this: “To do your best work - your most impactful work - you need to build a sustainable work-life balance that prioritizes you, your health and your happiness.” Our founders all believe this. And they have woven it into the fabric of the company. We are extremely happy to have been recognized as a place that puts the needs of people - especially young people - at the center of what we stand for as a company. We will continue to keep our ambitions high and strive to improve the lives for the people who are burdened by chronic disease. #perfood #people #culture

The Wisdom to Know What to Focus On As a startup, it must be a priority to understand what is most relevant to stakeholders - patients, doctors, healthcare professionals, employees, investors and regulators. In every sense of the word - a team. As much as the innovation part is the spark towards the transformation, your innovation must make sense to those who are working tirelessly to improve (and save) the lives of people. Doing this requires a fundamental wisdom to always know what to focus on. And that is why we are heartened when talented and motivated individuals such as Dr. Torsten Neumann join Perfood. Recently in #Berlin, Dr. Neumann was interviewed about what it will take to tackle the immense challenges of type 2 diabetes, and about the role technology can play. Dr. Neumann brings a depth and breadth of experience in this area - but he clearly brought the focus to one point. He emphasized a shift from simply selling products to offering practical solutions that cater to the individual needs of both patients, doctors and healthcare professionals. He believes that personalized technology plays a crucial role in achieving this. Dr. Neumann highlights the advancements made in #diabetes care, particularly continuous glucose monitoring (#CGM), but acknowledges that these benefits haven't reached all diabetic patients, especially those with type 2 diabetes. Dr. Neumann concludes by stressing the need to educate doctors about digital health applications so they can confidently prescribe them and provide their patients with more personalized therapies - as well as comprehensive guidance and support. There is much work to be done to achieve the outcomes we all desire - we are happy there are people with the wisdom, experience and vision like Dr. Neumann with us at Perfood. #perfood #DiGA #diabetes

Focused on Contributing In an article recently in Handelsblatt’s “Inside Digital Health”, Aidhere founder Henrik Emmert made an important remark. Noted Emmert: ‘It is difficult to raise awareness of DiGA among doctors.’ The numbers back him up. But beyond the numbers are the real questions and concerns of doctors. In the “BARMER Arztreport 2024 (Publication series on health analysis - Volume 45, Digital health applications - DiGA), the perception and actions of doctors were explored. These are some barebones observations from the BARMER report: ❕ There are gaps in knowledge and possible hesitance in prescribing DiGAs. ❕ From the perspective of doctors - they have to consider the impact on their practice and patient care. ❕ In terms of becoming engaged with the discussions around DiGAs, doctors noted a preference for peer and publication-based information. At Perfood, we understand and empathize with the challenges of doctors. This often comes down to time, validated - and trusted - information, and evidence on the effectiveness of #DiGAs. It is because of these important factors that we put a high priority on positively engaging with doctors and healthcare professionals. Along with the SVDGV, we facilitate numerous Continuous Medical Education (CME) seminars. We believe doctors speaking directly to doctors allows us to both contribute and learn. When we take the concerns of all stakeholders seriously and do our best to find workable solutions, we will improve patient care. We believe DiGAs can and will be an important part of improving the lives of millions of people in Germany. Just as importantly, we also believe in fighting to realize this goal with our actions. If you are interested in the article in Handelsblatt, you can find that here:  https://lnkd.in/e64fnJnU #perfood #diga #Ärzte

This is a special week for Perfood. As we focus on helping more people with type 2 diabetes and migraine, building our presence in new jurisdictions is essential. Yesterday, Perfood’s Clara Messier and Elsa Orivel discussed the potential of personalized low glycemic nutrition as a therapy for chronic diseases - many of which diminish the lives of millions of people in France. The discussion took place at PariSanté, an important multi-disciplinary health innovation campus now at the epicenter of healthcare advancements in France. Says Clara, Perfood’s market access manager for France: 💬 Seeing the enthusiasm of doctors and visitors for our digital therapies motivates us enormously and shows how ready France is to welcome these technologies. At Perfood, we recognize the urgency of the chronic disease health challenges we are all confronting in Europe, and we see PariSanté as a crucial foundation for advancing digital health solutions. As well, it is another stage in our deep commitment and dedication to collaborating with leading research institutions, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders in the digital health sphere - in Germany and beyond. A big thank you to Clara and Elsa for their dedicated efforts to bring Perfood’s story of innovation to France. #dtx #healthinnovation #perfood

News: Our DiGA for migraine, sinCephalea has been enhanced. We have moved forward concretely in our mission to empower patients with migraine to live healthier lives. This enhancement, available now for iOS (Android coming soon!), is the result of extensive user feedback and represents advancements in design and usability. ⚡ So What's Better? This update introduces features designed to enhance the user experience and improve migraine management. Near-real-time glucose monitoring: Provides personalized feedback and insights into how blood sugar impacts migraine frequency and severity. Enhanced Meal Score System: Offers personalized guidance on dietary choices to optimize migraine prevention. Expanded High-Quality Content: Includes valuable resources and educational materials to support users on their journey towards better migraine management. ⚡ Impact for Patients These improvements are designed to make sinCephalea more accessible and enjoyable for patients. We believe that the enhanced features will enable patients to: Track and understand their migraine better: making it even easier then ever before. Optimize their migraine management plan: features in sinCephalea provide valuable insights to help patients work with their healthcare providers to create a personalized, effective plan. Now, even more intuitive. Experience greater control over their migraine: By equipping users with the tools and knowledge to understand and manage their migraine, sinCephalea empowers them to take control of their health. ⚡ Looking Ahead These enhancements are a reflection of our dedication to the highest achievable benefits for patients. And our commitment to ongoing development and innovation. We invite healthcare professionals, doctors, pain specialists and those interested in an innovative digital prophylaxis to explore the potential of sinCephalea and join us in our mission to advance migraine treatment options. Find out more here: https://sincephalea.de/ #migraine #DiGA #healthinnovation #perfood

Believing in what we do. And Never Stopping. October 2023 is a special month for us. That is when Germany’s BfArM approved our migraine digital therapeutic, sinCephalea as a DiGA. Now that sinCephalea is being used across Germany by people with migraine, it is perhaps easy to lose sight of just how groundbreaking the concept is of using personalized low glycemic nutrition to address migraine. One person who will never forget is Perfood CEO, Dominik Burziwoda. Very often, we have impromptu conversations within Perfood looking at the big picture of what we are doing. And more importantly, why we are doing it. For Dominik, these discussions are about firmly anchoring us to what is most important in our mission – concretely helping people who want to be fully themselves, people who simply want to live beyond the challenges of diseases. A digital product for migraine is a unique breakthrough. sinCephalea means something different to each person who uses it. That is because the experience of a medical condition is never the same for each person.  And this is what makes digital therapeutics special – they can address several aspects of a disease - but in ways that are tailored to each and every person. That is the power of personalized medicine. We will never be done with making sinCephalea better. And better. And better. As Dominik says in this video: “What Perfood is doing is completely novel. No one ever applied personalized, low glycemic diet to treat migraines. Never.” And the mission continues.  More information for healthcare professionals about sinCephalea and migraine can be found here: https://lnkd.in/ePhUYS9T #sincephalea #migraine #DiGA #perfood

In the News: Improving Migraine Care with Personalized Nutrition Migraines can be debilitating, affecting millions globally with intense headaches, sensitivity to light, and the inability to perform daily tasks. However, innovative solutions are emerging to offer relief and improve quality of life for migraine sufferers. A few days ago, NDR's Schleswig-Holstein Magazin profiled a young woman who suffers from migraine and has been using Perfood’s DiGA, sinCephalea. Isabell Morgenstern shared her transformative experience with #sinCephalea. sinCephalea is designed to help individuals monitor their blood sugar levels and adjust their diets to reduce migraine frequency. The therapy is rooted in the observed connection between stable blood sugar levels and the reduction of migraine attacks. Previously, Isabell endured four to eight migraine days per month, often rendering her unable to work and confining her to a dark room with a cooling pack on her head. After using sinCephalea and making dietary adjustments based on her blood sugar monitoring, Isabell's migraine days decreased dramatically to just two per month. We were thankful that the producers and reporters who worked on the report went into the fine details, showing the experience of using sinCephalea, which involves using a continuous glucose monitoring (#CGM) sensor to track blood sugar levels, and accessing a nutrition diary to identify foods that cause significant blood sugar spikes. For instance, Isabell discovered that switching from oat milk to whole milk and incorporating yogurt into her breakfast significantly stabilized her blood sugar levels. And, by better combining carbohydrates and proteins and avoiding foods like noodles that caused strong blood sugar increases, she was able to mitigate the triggers for her migraines. The report also included an interview with Perfood co-founder and CMO Torsten Schröder, MD, PhD. Torsten talked about how the sinCephalea DiGA represents a significant step forward in migraine therapy. He emphasized the importance of individualized responses to different foods, which can only be determined through personal testing. What was the most rewarding for us were the results Isabell described as ‘life-changing.’ Her testimony underscores the potential of personalized nutrition to offer relief where traditional treatments may fall short, especially when it comes to things like side effects. As she continues to work with her neurologist and continue using sinCephalea, she hopes that her migraine days will reduce even more. Innovations like Perfood’s migraine DiGA sinCephalea are paving the way for a new era in migraine care, where technology and personalized data empower individuals to take control of their health. You can view the #NDR report at here. It begins at 16:07 in the media player. https://lnkd.in/emi-Pd43

Not Losing A Historic Opportunity As a startup, we always strive to see the big picture of where the opportunities and challenges are in digital health innovation. Germany’s framework, especially with DiGAs is a foundational strategy being looked at and built upon in many jurisdictions. However, we can also learn from others and their assessments about DiGAs. The recent 6th PRAEVENIRE Digital Health Symposium in Vienna, Austria, brought together experts from healthcare, politics, and business to discuss digital health trends and their potential to improve patient care. Although the discussion focused on initiatives and challenges related to digital transformation in Austria's healthcare system, we can see that in Austria, #DiGAs are considered an important pillar. Here are some highlights and key takeaways from the symposium: ➡ Patient-Centric Approach to Digitalization: Speakers emphasized the need for a patient-centric approach throughout the digital transformation process. Speakers stressed the need for a human-centered design approach that prioritizes user needs and evaluates the actual benefits of digital tools in real-world settings. ➡ Expanding Primary Care and Telemedicine: Leaders emphasized the need to strengthen primary care as a key step in improving healthcare efficiency and patient access. Naghme Kamaleyan-Schmied, Vice President of the Vienna Medical Association, stressed the importance of establishing primary care units (PVUs) and expanding telemedicine solutions to meet patients' needs and enhance healthcare accessibility. ➡ Overcoming Data Silos: Silvio Frey from Detecon Switzerland discussed the challenges of transforming data into usable insights. He noted that organizational structures, rather than technology, often present the biggest hurdles to data integration and utilization. ➡ Digital Health Applications (DiGAs): Learning from Germany: Christian Bredl from the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) in Bavaria shared insights from Germany's experience with DiGAs, digital health applications covered by statutory health insurance. Bredl acknowledged the progress made in Germany while suggesting areas for improvement. He recommended establishing mechanisms for price regulation, refining the DiGA trial phase, addressing evidence gaps, and conducting post-market entry studies. ➡ The Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Jörg Debatin, a healthcare entrepreneur, emphasized the transformative potential of AI in healthcare. He urged stakeholders to embrace AI solutions, arguing that excessive regulatory precautions could hinder innovation and cede market share to countries with less stringent regulations. Looking at the discussion in Vienna, it becomes clear that Germany is playing a leading role in digital health innovation. Now we must ensure we continue to deeply engage and find solutions to challenges so we do not lose this historic opportunity. https://lnkd.in/dn5REN_K #germany #DiGA #perfood

Today, Perfood co-founder and CMO Torsten Schröder, MD, PhD will speak about the potential to transform care for people with type 2 diabetes. Torsten has seen the immense challenges related to effective diabetes treatment in a unique way. He has first-hand clinical experience. He has a perspective based on research. And he has direct R&D experience with the validation of new therapeutic approaches using prescription digital therapeutics such as DiGAs. As our CEO Dominik Burziwoda often points out, it is likely that no one in the world has seen more data on personalized glycemic reactions than Torsten. This week, Torsten was interviewed at the #DDG #Diabetes Congress 2024 about his vision for what a new era in treatment for type 2 diabetes can look like. Just in case, here are some key takeaways:    ▶ DiGAs Bridge the Gap: The shortage of diabetes experts is a significant concern. DiGAs provide accessible and scalable solutions, supporting both patients and healthcare professionals in managing this complex condition. ▶ Personalized Treatment: Glucura, Perfood's DiGA for type 2 diabetes, utilizes #AI algorithms to analyze CGM data and generate tailored lifestyle recommendations. This level of personalization optimizes treatment effectiveness and improves patient outcomes. ▶ Patient Empowerment: DiGAs provide patients with the tools and knowledge to actively participate in their care. This fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility, leading to better self-management and improved quality of life. ▶ The Future of Diabetes Care: DiGAs represent a significant step forward in diabetes management. By harnessing technology, we can bridge the gap in care, empower patients, and ultimately improve health outcomes for millions.    Let's embrace the potential of DiGAs and work together to create a future where diabetes is no longer a burden but a manageable condition. Share this post and join the conversation on how we can further improve diabetes care through digital innovation and patient-centric solutions. #diabetes #digitalhealth #DiGA #patientcare #innovation #healthcare