Accelerating pharma-digital health partnerships
PharmStars is the pharma-focused accelerator for digital health startups, dedicated to driving digital health adoption to improve patient outcomes. We educate and mentor digital health startups seeking engagement with pharma and biotech firms. We are supported by our pharma members who are committed to working with startups that graduate from our accelerator.
Digital health has the potential to transform the pharmaceutical industry and the patient experience. Digital health and pharma firms are eager to engage with one another. Yet both have found it challenging to create successful partnerships.
PharmStars is a novel digital health accelerator aimed at bridging the pharma-startup gap to drive greater adoption of digital health. Our 10-week accelerator program is designed to prepare startups for more productive engagements with pharma by teaching them what they need to know. The program culminates with the Showcase Event. Startups present their solutions to our pharma members and then have the opportunity to meet individually with them.
"Our mission is to facilitate and accelerate successful partnerships between digital health startups and pharma, leading to greater success for each and faster adoption of digital health to improve patient outcomes."
- Naomi Fried PhD, Founder & CEO, PharmStars
The centerpiece of the PharmStars accelerator is PharmaU: a unique, comprehensive educational program. Its three components are a curriculum for startups, mentoring for startups, and "Executive Ed" courses for pharma. PharmaU’s courses are developed and led by PharmStars’ experienced team of former pharma executives with deep expertise in digital health, innovation, and startups.
Courses for startups about how to engage pharma successfully include topics such as:
Individualized coaching from our PharmStars staff on how startups can successfully engage pharma. We guide startups through the process, from building a compelling value proposition through crafting an effective pitch.
Workshops and seminars for pharma members, providing insight into how to successfully implement digital health programs and partnerships.
June 5
July 10
August 25
September 6-7
Sept 11 - Nov 3
November
A patient’s therapeutic experience is often a central part of their health journey and encompasses far more than just taking or being administered a prescription medicine. Multiple challenges exist in both the supply and delivery aspects of therapeutics that can profoundly impact both patients and pharmaceutical firms.
Even before a patient receives a therapy, the steps in the pharmaceutical supply chain process pose myriad challenges: manufacturing, sourcing, logistics, distribution, and cold chain management; product integrity and anti-counterfeiting; inventory management, regulatory compliance, and sustainability. Digital solutions can address many of these challenges.
Particular challenges also exist around in vivo drug delivery, including stability and bioavailability, tolerability, effective absorption into the target tissue; and the avoidance of undesirable drug-drug interactions. Accurate dosing and monitoring of therapeutic effects during and after administration are vital. Pharma is interested in novel drug delivery platforms and mechanisms of administration for small molecules and biologics, as well as advanced therapies such as gene and cell therapies.
Adherence to therapeutic regimens is also crucial to the patient drug experience, yet inadequate patient education and variable health literacy can negatively impact a patient’s ability to successfully follow a medication regimen. Poor medication compliance and persistence result in inferior health outcomes for patients and lost revenue for pharma.
The theme of the Fall 2023 PharmStars’ cohort, “Digital Innovations in Therapeutic Delivery: Supply Chain to the Patient Interface,” encompasses digital health solutions that improve the therapeutic supply chain, delivery, or the patient-drug experience for small molecules, biologics, and advanced therapies. Areas of interest include but are not limited to:
Digital health startups with a product or prototype connected to our theme are invited to apply by July 10, 2023. Please refer to the Program Terms for full program requirements.